Armodoxy for Today: Grapes, the Symbol of Productivity
In John chapter 15, Jesus sets up a metaphor, with himself being the vine, his Father the vinedresser and us, the branches. No matter how you twist or turn these three, the message is clear: Life is about productivity. Life is meant to be lived. We are the branches of the metaphor and the only way to be productive – to bear fruit, grapes – is to be connected to the vine.
The Vine, Jesus Christ, is incarnate Love. A productive life is one that is nurtured and the fueled by Love. Only when you are connected to the Vine, to Love, does life have purpose and meaning. A life of love is not selfish. The branch is not preoccupied with self-love and self-preservation. The ego is placed to one side and fruit – robust, juicy, flavorful, aromatically alluring grapes poke through the hard and rough branches to bring joy to those who partake.
Only by being connected to the vine does this happen. A branch cut from the Vine, cut from Love, only stands alone and withers.
Today’s one minute for Summertime.
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KISS is an acronym that has been used in many different disciplines but came to prominence in its use by the US Navy in 1960. K.I.S.S. stands for Keep It Simple, Stupid. There are softer variations of it, such as, Keep It Short and Simple and Keep It Super Simple, with the main point being to articulate ideas simply. Advertising agencies spend millions to spell out purchase reasons in simple words and terms.
Jesus artfully presented the most complex thoughts and rules that guide our existence in very simple terms. He set up metaphors, one of which we tie in with the Feast of the Assumption of the Asdvadzadzin.
“I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. …I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit…” (John 15)
This week, we began picking those grapes from John 15.
Today’s one minute for Summertime.
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The first fruits of the season, grapes, are blessed on the Feast of the Assumption of the Asdvadzadzin. Last week, we built up to the Feast with reflections on the Blessed Mother, Mary. This week, we meditate on the meaning of the grapes based the Jesus’ words, recorded in John, chapter 15:
I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit….
I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned. If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you. By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples.
Today’s one minute for Summertime.
https://epostle.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/DALL·E-2023-08-10-20.42.37-oil-painting-of-table-with-various-types-of-grapes-and-vineyards-in-the-background.png10241024Vazken Movsesianhttps://epostle.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/final_logo_large_for_epostle_web-300x189.pngVazken Movsesian2026-08-17 00:10:102026-08-16 20:36:30About the Grapes
This week is one of preparation for the Feast of Assumption of the blessed Mother, Mary. Sometimes the story of St. Mary seems overwhelmingly complicated with supernatural events taking place, most notably her relationship with Joseph and subsequently Christ’s virgin birth. As such, the most important and fundamental message of her story might be overlooked.
Let’s take it from the beginning. St. Mary is at the top of the list of saints, because she said “Yes” to God’s request to bear Jesus Christ, Love Incarnate, the complete and full expression of Love. As a saint, she is not worshipped but is one whose actions are to be followed and emulated.
The request God made of St. Mary is no different than the request He makes of you and me: bear Christ. Bear love. Bring Love into the world. Prepare yourself, with prayer, fasting and acts of charity. Clean, purge yourself of evil thoughts, hatred and prejudice so that love flows from you, freely. Virginity simplified.
A custom and tradition in the Armenian Church is to bless grapes on the Feast of Assumption. Jesus uses a grape-grapevine metaphor to describe his relationship with his followers. We’ll dive deeper into that vat next week, but for today, let’s focus on why the grape blessing is connected to the Blessed Mother Mary.
Given Armenia’s climate, the first crop of grapes would be ready by mid-August making the Feast of Assumption a convenient time for farmers to offer their first crop to the church as a symbol of thanksgiving. This offering would be blessed by the priest, in a prayer of thanksgiving for the weather and fertile soil. The grapes would then be shared with the community through the church.
The first crop was not the leftovers, but the very best of the harvest. Your very best should be offered to God – your goods, your labor, energy, talents – and through the Church they are distributed among the community. St. Mary, who knew Christ from the womb to the Resurrection, was the first Christian. On this day, the first fruits of our labor are offered.
On this fourth day of preparation for the Feast ahead of us, we focus on the singular place the St. Mary occupies in human history.
The Feast we celebrate on Sunday is called the Assumption. As Tradition tells us, when the Blessed Mother passed away, the Apostle Bartholomew was absent from the group of Apostles who attended her funeral. When he returned to Jerusalem he asked that he might visit her tomb to offer his respects to the Holy Mother of Blessed Memory. When they found her tomb empty, it was revealed that she was “assumed” into Heaven by Christ himself. Hence, the Feast is called the Assumption of the Asdvadzadzin.
The two words Assumption and Asdvadzadzin, celebrates the one who knew Jesus before and after the “cradle to grave” markers. St. Mary knew Christ from womb to Resurrection to her own Assumption. In the words of the angels, she is the highly favored one, the Lord is with her; blessed is she among women! (Luke 1:28)
Today’s one minute for Summertime.
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Armenia was blessed by the visit of two of Christ’s Apostles, Saint Thaddeus and Saint Bartholomew. They came to Armenia to evangelize the Gospel three to four years apart from one another, in the years 41 and 45 A.D. respectively. To put it in context, they arrived in Armenia less than 10 years after the life-changing and history altering events of the Crucifixion and the Resurrection, to which they were both eye-witnesses! Yesterday I shared the story of Thaddeus’s part in the formation of the Holy Muiron. St. Bartholomew’s story is considered apocryphal yet inspiring and is one more connection with Jesus and the Muiron.
When the Blessed Mother, the Asdvadzadzin, passed away, all of the Apostles attended her funeral except for Bartholomew. When Bartholomew returned to Jerusalem and was informed of Mother Mary’s passing, he requested to see the Blessed remains one last time. When they opened her tomb, her body was not there. She was assumed into Heaven by her Son.
During Jesus’ infancy, scripture tells us many events took place and “Mary kept all these things and pondered them in her heart.” (Luke 2:19) When Jesus’ umbilical cord fell off, Mary kept it in an alabaster box. When Bartholomew came to pay his respects to Holy Mother’s life, he was given the box, which he kept close to his heart.
Bartholomew brought this box with him to Armenia. He was martyred there for his faith in and commitment to Jesus Christ. Before he was executed, he was able pass along the small alabaster box to the members of the underground Church in Armenia. The box and its content – the umbilical cord of our Lord – were secretly kept by the Church until the Conversion of Armenia in the year 301 A.D. by St. Gregory the Illuminator. At that time the box was turned over to Gregory who had ascended to the Apostolic Throne as chief bishop. Gregory blessed the first batch of Holy Muiron at that time and added the content the alabaster box to the oil, along with the Oil that Jesus had sent with Thaddeus. Because in each new batch the previous batch is added, there are molecules from the time of Jesus Christ, with his DNA giving a direct physical connection to the Lord, from the Manger to the Resurrection. Indeed, the Muiron is what binds us together into one family – the family of Christ – or Christian. Is it any wonder that Armenian names end with the suffix “ian”? The “ian” refers to “the family of…” In this case, a Christ-ian is a member of the family of Christ.
During the Blessing of the Muiron, in the prayers offered by the Catholicos, he refers to the mixture as yiugh, that is “oil” up to the point where the previous batch is added, at which time it is properly referred to as Holy Muiron.
We pray today, Lord Jesus Christ, Keep ever before my mind your precious and holy words, that “My family are those who hear the word of God and do it.” (Luke 8:21) Through the intercession of your beloved disciples Bartholomew and Thaddeus, I ask that you fortify with me the virtues of Faith, Hope and Love so that I may be worthy be called a Christian. Amen.
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Now that the Feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Mother of God, Asdvadzadzin, has passed I share with you this fascinating story that connects all Christians who are baptized and confirmed in the Armenian Church.
When the Asdvadzadzin passed away, all of the Apostles except for the Apostle Bartholomew were in Jerusalem and attended her funeral service. When Bartholomew returned to Jerusalem and was informed of Mother Mary’s passing, he requested to see the Blessed remains one last time. When they opened her tomb to honor Bartholomew’s request, her body was not there. She was assumed into Heaven by her Son. Hence the word “Assumption” is used to describe Asdvadzadzin’s entrance into Heaven. It differs from the Resurrection, which was a singular event, where in Jesus, on His own power, resurrected. In the case of St. Mary, she was assumed into Heaven.
There is a short apocryphal story which follows. During Jesus’ infancy, scripture tells us many events took place and “Mary kept all these things and pondered them in her heart.” (Luke 2:19) When Jesus’ umbilical cord fell off, Mary placed it in an alabaster box and kept it with her through the years. When Bartholomew came to pay his respects to Holy Mother’s life, he was given the box, which he kept close to his heart.
In the fourth decade A.D., Bartholomew came to Armenia to preach the Gospel. He was martyred in Armenia for his faith in and commitment to Jesus Christ. Before he was executed, he was able pass along the small alabaster box to the members of the underground Church in Armenia. The box and its content, the umbilical cord of our Lord, were secretly kept by the Church until the Conversion of Armenia in the year 301 A.D. by St. Gregory the Illuminator. At that time the box was turned over to Gregory who had ascended to the Apostolic Throne as chief bishop. Gregory consecrated the first batch of Holy Miuron at that time and added the remains of the umbilical cord to the first miuron. This Holy Chrism, which is used for consecration of the faithful, priests, bishops and holy sites, is renewed every seven years. In each new batch, the previous batch is added, meaning there are molecules in the Holy Miuron from the time of Jesus Christ!
This is year there will be a blessing of the Holy Miuron. In the coming episodes we will share the mystery of the Holy Miuron with our listeners.
We pray today, Mary’s Song, referred to as the Magnificat, in Armenian, Medzastzudzeh. My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior, for He has regarded the lowly state of His maidservant; for behold, henceforth all generations will call me blessed. Amen.
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At Epostle.net, when we say, Apostolic evangelism for an electronic and expanding universe, it is more than a catch phrase for us, it is our mission. Earlier this year we entered the metaverse with exhibits of the sacred spaces, the monasteries, the khatchkars and prayers of the Armenian Church which have defined civilization. Today, we mark a new day and a new era in Christian evangelism. Today we break the language barriers in sharing the OG Christian message from the ancient Armenian Church – what we have identified as Armodoxy – with a hurting world using the latest tools of artificial intelligence. Today we produce and share videos with the people of the world in their native languages, in French, Russian, Spanish and Korean, with Hindi, German and Chinese being the next languages to follow. While many will stand in awe of the technology our intention is not to showcase those means. The unbridled human spirit will create the tools that will keep us in awe. Ours is to share the unique and necessary message of the power of Love, through Jesus Christ with the world.
Welcome to the new world. It is an exciting and scary place.
This weekend as we commemorate the Assumption of the Blessed Mother, we remember that the announcement of her pregnancy was exciting and scary for her, as were the many events in her life, from the angel’s message to the Birth of the Christ Child, to her standing at the foot of the Cross, to her Assumption into Heaven. We take the first steps in this uncharted area of AI, realizing that the first steps will always be scary. At Epostle.net we connect dots from those events 2000 years ago to our lives today, so as not to lose sight of the purpose of the story. The Asdvadzadzin gave birth to God, the Love that overcomes hatred, the Light that illuminates the darkness, the Resurrection that is a victory over every crucifixion.
Jesus says, “The kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking beautiful pearls,who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had and bought it.” (Matt. 13:45-46)
We have found the pearl!
We take this opportunity to congratulate Team Epostle and especially Epostle creative director Gregory Beylerian for his leadership in exploration and development of these tools to spread the message.
We open this new chapter with an invitation to you to explore and share the many resources we have available, especially on the new international languages page. Join us in prayer, “Lord our God, open our hearts and our souls to the wonders of your love. Grant us the courage to seek the Pearl, the Kingdom that is within us and without us. Banish the fear that hinders us from sharing and celebrating the joy of life. Amen.”
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Armodoxy for Today: St. Mary and the Grape Connection
My grandmother was one of four sisters. She was the oldest. Her name was Marie. Her sister’s names were Lousaper (the Light-bearer), Srpuhi (the Holy One) and Diruhi (The Lady, as in the feminine of Lord). All four sisters had names which were descriptive of St. Mary. No other saint is revered as much as St. Mary by Armenians, and the fact that in one family, four daughters are named after the blessed Mother is a testament to the respect and devotion she has had among the people.
St. Mary is referred to as the Asdvadzadzin which means the bearer of God, referring to her unique position of giving birth to Jesus, the Son of God. While the traditional churches celebrate the Assumption of St. Mary, only the Armenian Church has the unique tradition of the blessing grapes on that day.
My grandmother would recall how the first fruits of the harvest, the best fruits, were taken to the church on that day for a special blessing. The offering of the fruits was a gesture of thanksgiving, thanking God for the blessings He has bestowed upon the people, the temperance of weather, the fertility of the soil and the abundance of sunshine which yields the grapes. In fact, she would add that the townspeople would not eat the fruit of the vine until they were blessed on this day.
One of the reasons given for the connection between St. Mary and the grapes is that grapes can be propagated without seed, alluding to the virgin birth. But the best reason comes from Christ himself who sets up this analogy, “I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser.Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit. Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me.” (John 15:1-4)
The life of a Christian is completely dependent on an unfaltering connection to Christ himself. Jesus presents the picture of the vine, the branches, and the fruit. And the operative is God the Father who prunes the branches. Just as the soil, weather and sunlight are necessary for delicious and juicy grapes, so too, our connection to Jesus the Vine is necessary for our lives to be flavorful and beautiful.
The grape blessing service is a call to productivity. God gives us a world and we are the stewards of this beautiful life. Armodoxy attests that Christianity is not an escape from this world to another but a realization that in this world we – us – are the agents to make God’s will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
From the grape blessing prayer that is offered on the feast of Assumption, Bless, O Lord, the grapes. May we enjoy that which You have created in this world and grant that we may be worthy to eat and drink with You from the bounty of Your most fruitful vine at the table of Your Father’s Kingdom, according to the just promise which You made, to the honor and glory of Your coexisting Trinity, the Father, the Son, and the most Holy Spirit to whom is due glory, power, and honor, now and forever. Amen.
And it doesn’t end here…
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