Tag Archive for: Intercessory Prayer

St. Sarkis: Loved by All

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Armodoxy for Today: St. Sarkis

There are a few saints that stand out above others and are revered specially by the Armenian people. One of them is St. Sarkis. Parents name their boys Sarkis, and as a family name, Sarkisian is fairly common. A few years back, the Catholicos of All Armenians, His Holiness Karekin II, designated St. Sarkis as the patron saint of youth. Today, young people line up in churches to receive a special blessing on the feast of St. Sarkis which is celebrated this time of year, after Theophany and before Great Lent.

Sarkis is a 4th century saint, a Roman by birth and was appointed by Constantine the Great as Prince of Cappadocia, (next to Armenia, today’s Kayseri). And while he is separated from us by space and time, the message that comes from his story speaks directly to our day and age.

With Constantine’s conversion to Christianity and the joy of the newly found Christian religion, Sarkis went throughout the Empire converting people with the message of faith, hope and love. However, when he reached Persia, the King, Shaboo, demanded that Sarkis stop preaching Christ and instead worship before his pagan altars. Sarkis’ response to the King was “I believe in one God, the All Holy Trinity, who has created heaven and earth. As a man, who is made of the earth, I can destroy your pagan statues and the fire you worship.”

This proclamation against the religion of the day infuriated the people and they began beating Sarkis with stones and clubs. They finally imprisoned him in the hopes that he would deny Christ, but he remained loyal to his faith. He was sentenced to death for his Christian faith and the “crime” of bringing people to Christ.

I will spare you the details of his death, which are rather gory, but I need to mention that he left an indelible mark on the psyche of the people. To this day, even among the Persians, Sarkis is referred to as “The invincible witness and grantor of all requests.”

Even today, some folk myths still circulate among the people with seeing St. Sarkis in dreams, eating salt and water as signals for falling in love and betrothal.

Today, as we recount the story of St. Sarkis, we have to lift it off the pages of history and see it as a lesson in convictions and faith. In fact, today, Christians are being persecuted daily for their beliefs. We may not see the swords of the emperors or outright proclamations such as King Shaboo’s, but the weapons that strike us are just as deadly. Our lives are filled with temptations by materialism – believing that our possessions define us and carry some kind of intrinsic worth – while being swayed by a general attitude of indifference towards the plight of others. Death comes to us because of contempt for Christ’s call to Love.

We’d be well advised to take the call of our Catholicos to heart. St. Sarkis gives us an example of conviction, of faith, of discipline and true strength. In a world that teaches otherwise, this saint of the Armenian Church should be welcomed, not only in the lives of our youth but in all of our lives.

Let us pray, “O Christ, director of life and eternity, as your servant St. Sarkis demonstrated with his life, let your message and glory be reflected in my life. May I honor St. Sarkis, and all the saints, by living with you centered in my life, today and always. Amen.”

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Child’s Play, Halloween

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Armodoxy for Today: Child’s Play

I often wonder why we complicate things. Why is it that children are flexible and bounce back from difficulties? Why does Jesus point to a child, challenging us to understand that Kingdom of God it belongs such like the little children?

Halloween is one such time when I can’t help but think about the innocence that is lost when adults jump into children’s lives. Halloween is a church feast. It is the night before “All Saints Day” or “All Hallow’s Eve” slurred to the sound of Halloween. Yes, the roots are pagan, but so are the roots of just about everything else. Christians have taken the tradition of remembering the saints – the hallows – and celebrating them. All Saints Day is celebrated on November 1st in the West, and so October 31st is the Eve of All Hallow’s Day. In the Armenian Church, All Saints Day is celebrated on the Saturday closest to November 1st and so the eve is on Friday night. In Armenian we refer to the evening celebration as nakhatonak or “before the feast.”

Saints are very special people in our lives. They are not gods, that is, they are people just like us, with their frailties and imperfections. They have sinned, doubted, betrayed and have been found to be insincere. Yet, despite their imperfections, they have risen from their humanity to touch the divine. In other words, because they are like us, the door is opened to the possibility for all of us to excel and strive for perfection.

Because we believe in the continuity of life, we believe saints live beyond their earthly existence. The practice of intercessory prayer is merely asking the saints to remember us in their prayers, much like you would ask any of your friends or your priest or pastor to pray for you. Because saints have passed on, the notion of connecting with someone in the grave conjures up spooky thoughts and expressions. Add to this the money motive, and you have the formula for what takes place today at Halloween, with scary movies, zombies, bloody masks, and disfigured disguises.

Here’s a challenge that comes straight out of the Armodoxy playbook, take back Halloween. What a beautiful way to share the traditions of the Church with your children, but to have them dressed up as the saints of the Church! Each saint brings a story of devotion, dedication and challenges us to overcome. Halloween can be a means of learning and celebrating your religious heritage.

As you dress up in the costume of your favorite saint, listen to the intercessory prayer made to our saints.

O Christ our God, you crown your saints with triumph and you do the will of all who fear you, looking after your creatures with love and kindness. Hear us from your holy and heavenly realm by the intercession of the Holy Mother of God and by the prayers of all your saints. Hear us Lord, and show us your mercy. Forgive, redeem and pardon our sins. Make us worthy thankfully to glorify you with the Father, and with the Holy Spirit. Now and always and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

Cover: Envato Elements