Tag Archive for: Believe

Do You Believe This? (Lazarus Saturday)

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Armodoxy for Today: Do you believe this? – Lazarus Saturday

The Lenten season is over, and now begins the holiest of all days and journeys, as we prepare to greet the Empty Tomb, that is Easter Sunday. This preparation is an actual walk with Christ, walking with him as he enters the holy city of Jerusalem on Palm Sunday, through his passion, through His crucifixion, even His burial, and ultimately finding ourselves at the Resurrection as a witness to life beyond the grave.

Welcome to Holy Week.

The first day of Holy Week is called Lazarus Saturday. The story comes to us from the Gospel of Saint John chapter 11, where we learn of the death of Jesus’ close friend Lazarus. When Jesus arrives at his friend’s home, Lazarus’ sisters, Mary and Martha, turn to Jesus and say, If you had been here, our brother would not have died, an acknowledgment of Jesus’s Lordship and power even over death. Jesus turns to them and says, Your brother will rise again. Martha agrees and says, I know he will rise in the resurrection of the last day. But Jesus says to her, I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live even though he dies, and whoever lives and believes in me will never die.

Having proclaimed this truth, Jesus turns to Martha and says, Do you believe this?

I invite you to read the entire story of Lazarus resurrection (John 11). For today, I’d like to focus on the words that Jesus speaks to the sisters, Do you believe this? Because it is the same question that he asks us. We can recognize Jesus at many levels. We can even proclaim His Lordship. We can call him the Son of God, the question that he asks to the sisters he asks now of us, Do you believe this? Do you believe that I am the resurrection and the life. Do you believe that I am love incarnate? If you believe that, then you must believe that love is the resurrection and the life. You must believe that it is love that prevents any of us from dying, that love is the one factor that allows us to live forever.

As we begin this Holy Week, ask yourself this very personal question: Do I believe this? The road in front of us is a tough one. We’re going to go all the way to the cross and then to the tomb. Love is the one thing that cannot be killed. It is the resurrection and the life. It’s only with this commitment and with this confession on our part that the rest of the week will make any sense that the rest of the week will rise from the pages of history and become a living testament to what faith means today in our lives, how that faith will actually allow us to be participants in the Resurrection.

We pray, Lord Jesus Christ, who are Resurrection and the Life, fill my heart with your Love so I may forgive my enemies and care for others, and share that Love in my life. I await the travel before me, to accompany you to the Cross. Amen.

Cover photo: 2023 Luna & Gregory Beylerian

Trust – Day 29 of 40

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Armodoxy for Today: Trust – Day 29 of Lent

Continuing on the theme of the Unjust Judge, we take our lead from the evangelist St. Luke, who shared this parable as offered by Jesus. We are talking about prayer and that if God knows our needs, why pray?

How often do we give time to hear ourselves, to hear the inner self speak? Part of this Lenten journey has been to open the ears of our heart, to be able to listen attentively. The Psalmist says, “Be still! And know that I am God.” (46:10) Lent gives us the opportunity to sit still and listen, hear, absorb and thereby grow spiritually. Lent is not merely to cut down on food, but it is to come down to the bare essentials: What is necessary to survive? Or in Jesus’ words (to the tempter), “Man does not live by bread alone but by every word that comes forth from the Lord.” (Matthew 4:4)

When teaching us to pray, Jesus directs us to go into a small room and pray without any distractions so that we understand what our needs are. How are our needs to be satisfied? We need to find strength, patience and devotion.

Someone once wisely said, If you want your dreams to come true, first you need to wake up! It’s certainly logical. You can’t dream and do at the same time. Take control of your life and make it happen.

Jesus taught us to call God, Father. No other religion dares to call the Lord of the Universe, Father. Jesus does and he sets up a relationship of care. If, then, we accept that we are God’s children and that He is our Father, then we know that He will take care of us in all circumstances. Just as He takes care of the birds in the air, as He takes care of the lilies of the field who are here today and gone tomorrow, so too, He will take care of us. Jesus tells us, “How much more are you worth than those lilies of the field, than those birds of the air? Your Heavenly Father takes care of them. How much more He will take care of you.”

Do you believe this? It requires unquestioning faith and is difficult to achieve, hence the need to discipline ourselves. What remains for us is to continue to pray. Persistence! Persevere! Consistency! Like the woman in the story, never doubt that in the end, you will get what you need, because in that persistence, it is you listening to yourself. In your persistence you’ll find that these prayers turn into mantras. They turn into guidelines by which you start living, by which you start accepting responsibility in your life.

An act of charity is to inventory the times when you have trusted God and things have fallen into place. Fast from feelings of distrust.

Try the Mediterranean Bean Salad, the featured Lenten meal with a recipe below.

We pray the prayer our Lord, Jesus Christ, taught us,
“Our Father in Heaven, hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come, Your will be done on Earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. Forgive us our debts as we also have forgiven our debtors, and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For Yours is the kingdom, and the power and the glory forever and ever. Amen.”

Lenten Recipes by Deacon Varoujan: Recipe 29: Mediterranean Bean Salad

Child’s Hope (Yet)

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Armodoxy for Today: Child’s Hope

I had an interesting conversation with a young girl the other day, about the number of fingers on certain drawings. This 10-year-old had come with her mother to volunteer for the food distribution at the shelter. She had brought with her some paints and brushes for the kids there and we began to discuss the intricacies of drawing the human hand. I noted that cartoon characters have four fingers, and she was quick to one better me, by telling me about a character who had three fingers on his hand.

I asked who was the character? She answered, “It’s science fiction. It’s not real, yet.”

Indeed, that “yet” implied hope and faith in the future.  That “yet” is what keeps people dreaming, believing, and creating.

We haven’t visited another planet yet. They haven’t discovered the cure, yet.

Our world hasn’t achieved peace, yet. Dream, believe and create. Today’s one-minute for standard time.

“Out of the mouth of babes hast thou ordained strength,” cites Jesus. (Matthew 21:16)

St. Vartan: Battlefield Arizona

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Next Step #299 – February 27, 2014

St. Vartan’s battle is one that gets defined in 2014 as we react to religious intolerance. Fr. Vazken brings home the message in this timely and relevant broadcast. Homosexuality and the tolerance of Christ – as we are all one in Christ – it’s a believe or not statement. Looking for parody and the folk songs to open the dialogue about change and revolution. Watch out debutantes! The power of language along with a quick run to Guitar Center with Gor – all in this episode.
Song: “Sassoun” by Hovhaness Badalian
Lenten Journey: https://epostle.net/lent/ 
Lenten Page: http://armenianorthodoxy.org/lent/index.html
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