Tag Archive for: Lent

Done and Go – Day 40 of 40

/0 Comments/in , /by

Armodoxy for Today: Done and Go – Day 40 of Lent

Congratulations! You made it to the end of the Lenten Journey. Forty days ago we began this trek and today it comes to an end and you transition. Your prize is waiting for you. It is life but with a new twist, you have found what is important, what is essential, in life. Not the bare minimum to survive, but the best of the pick of life, a life that is full of purpose and meaning, a life that is blessed by God and in harmony with the life around you, is now accessible to you.

At the end of his forty days in the wilderness Jesus gave three answers to the Tempter that I am sure resonate with you today. First, he said, “Man does not live by bread alone, but by every word God.” Second, “You shall worship the Lord your God, and Him only you shall serve.” And finally, “You shall not test the Lord your God.” (Luke 4)

These words are no longer the punch line to a story, but, to the person who has accomplished the Lenten Journey and exercises, these words are the foundation to life moving forward. You have discovered that Lent is not about the bare necessities of life, but the bare essentials of life. The forty days are up and ahead of you are 325 days that are to built on these teachings.

I remember one of our psychology professors mentioned the goal of therapy is to eliminate you, the therapist, from the life of the patient. The same can be said about the Lenten Journey. Lent in itself is only there to help you, to guide you, but the main event is life itself. Lent is there to get you up and running for life, just like crutches, after leg surgery, are necessary to support and hold you up, and at some point you toss them and walk on your own.

Life is ahead of you. You are prepared. You have filled your life with increased acts of charity, stronger prayer life and fasting. Don’t stop because Lent ends. Tomorrow begins Holy Week, we transition to the most sacred period of time in the life of a Christian. You are ready to greet it and live it, with Christ’s passion, trial, sentencing, crucifixion and then, most importantly, the Resurrection. The Life of Christ will have new meaning for you as Lent has heightened your senses to now, walk with Christ on the road to the Cross and greet the Empty Tomb.

Celebrate tonight with the Day 40 recipe. jicama salad, and its recipe can be found at the link below. God bless you.

We pray from the Armenian Church’s Book of Hours, Receive, Great and Almighty God, these prayers and service. Make your light of righteousness and wisdom shine forth upon us and make us sons and daughters of light and of day, so that in godliness we may lead our life and fulfil it without offence, for You are our helper and Savior and to You is fitting glory and honor. Amen.

Lenten Recipes by Deacon Varoujan: Recipe 40: Jicama Salad

Cover: Sunset over Western Armenia, 2014 Gregory Beylerian

All that Glitters is Not Gold – Day 36 of 40

/0 Comments/in , /by

Armodoxy for Today: All that glitters is not gold – Day 36 of Lent

We’re in the last days of Lent and the time has come for us to consolidate and summarize our learnings, so as to make the lessons a part of our life in the post-Lenten world. We can begin the summary process by looking at the Lenten characters and events for the last few weeks, namely the parables of the Prodigal Son, the Dishonest Manager, the Unjust Judge and yesterday, the Coming of Jesus Christ. In the cases of the characters, the Prodigal, the Manager and the Judge, these were people we would hardly consider to be models of character and ethics. Yet, Jesus selects them to the “heroes” of his stories. Only Jesus can take something of deception and negative imagery and transform them into examples for our lives and for living. In the case of the event, the Second Coming of Christ, only Jesus can change the conversation about the fear and doomsday catastrophes to a discussion of preparedness by living the events of Jesus’ first coming.

Very simply, over the past few weeks we have been challenged to look beyond our prejudices and understand that there is something to be learned from each encounter.

William Shakespear wrote, “All that glitters is not gold” (Merchant of Venice). We may twist this around to say that not all that is dull is tin. We have something to learn from each of our encounters, from the variety of people that we meet. Jesus invites us to interact with our world and understand that there is an opportunity to learn and grow from everyone, considering that everyone is a child of God.

With these ethically “ugly” people, Jesus share a bit of beauty about them to teach about the Kingdom of Heaven. With the Second Coming event, he gave us a fresh perspective of the true message of the event is.

Today’s act of charity is to review the encounters with the Prodigal, the Manager and the Judge. Read the stories in Luke 15, 16 and 18 respectively. Fast from thoughts that simplify these characters. What are the takeaways for you? Mutabbel is on the Lenten menu this evening. Check out the recipe at the link below.

Pray, Heavenly Father, as I come closer the end of Lent, look over me and direct my path to make the lessons of Lent the guiding direction for my life. Amen.  

Lenten Recipes by Deacon Varoujan: Recipe 36: Mutabbel

Farsighted Victory – Day 34 of Lent

/0 Comments/in , /by

Armodoxy for Today: Farsighted Victory – Day 34 of Lent

On this final Saturday of the Lenten season, the Armenian Church commemorates St. Gregory the Illuminator’s admission into Khorvirab, or “the Deep Pit,” a place of exile and punishment. It is at the base of Mt. Ararat and is marked with a church atop the sacred space. St. Gregory was sentenced there for the capital offense of spreading the Christian Gospel through Armenia. For thirteen long years he remained in that subterranean dungeon, being nourished and cared for by the prayer and love of a faithful young lady who had converted to Christianity. He found the strength – the kind which comes from within – to challenge the system and to remain faithful to the principles and beliefs that are at the core of Christianity. Meanwhile, the Gospel of Christ had been planted and was now blossoming, in this young girl’s heart. Both St. Gregory and this young lady, Khosrovidughd, showed physical and inner strength, and we remember that strength today.

During this Lenten period we have looked within to find the basic necessities of life and we have discovered the strength that comes from various practices. We learned that ego must be put on hold or lost if we are to see the wonders of God. We challenged ourselves to discover where our inner strength lies. Now discovered, we use that strength to push ourselves forward, to make sure that the principles of our faith are not shaken.

The commemoration of St. Gregory’s entrance into the Pit should remind us of the many “pits” – prisons and dungeons in our lives. It is easy to blame others for those falls, but we should not discount our role in creating some of those prisons. Yes, even St. Gregory could have done otherwise but he did not, and therefore, he is responsible for being in Khorvirab. As noble as the reasons may be for our actions, we are part of an equation which has rewards or consequences on the other side of the equal sign.

As we mature in faith, we understand that there are serious consequences if not ramifications to every decision we make. Much like was the case for St. Gregory, if we stay firm to our principles, we may be challenged with pits in our lives.

Sitting here today, removed by 1700+ years from St. Gregory, we have a special vantage point. History may be translated into the advantage of farsightedness. We know that St. Gregory was punished in Khovirab –the Pit – but we also know the history that he was delivered and as a result, the conversion of Armenia took place, making it the first Christian nation on Earth. From the actions of St. Gregory’s death sentence, a people were given an opportunity to live.

This farsightedness is a gift from God. It is the ability to stand at one point in history and see another. To stand at Good Friday looking up at the Cross with farsightedness and see the Resurrection is our calling.  St. Gregory’s crucifixion the resurrection of a nation took place. Truly, farsightedness is a Christian gift because we see crucifixions through the lens that reveals resurrection. We see the empty tomb of Easter while standing at the cross of Calvary on Good Friday. Sometimes the pits of life are very, very deep, which is the meaning of the word Khorvirab. We struggle to overcome our difficulties. We search for a glimmer of light coming from above – a bit of light to keep us focused on hope to get out of the ditch. We appeal to farsightedness to see the beams of light coming our way.

This farsightedness kept St. Gregory alive. He was certain of resurrection following his crucifixion.

Your act of charity is to place your head up and view the resurrections from your challenges. Fast from the belief that crucifixion is the end game. On your Lenten table is a red bean appetizer to start. Its recipe is in the link below.

We pray a prayer given to us by the father and patron saint of the Armenian Church, St. Gregory the Illuminator:

Blessed is your love for human kind my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Save me from my enemies for like a lion they growl and roar seeking to swallow me up. Now my Lord, flash your light up and destroy their power. Exalted God the only sinless one grant me this sinner your abundant compassion. Save me this wicked one by the grace of your mercy receive me into paradise with the perfectly just. Receive the prayers of this your sinful servant by the intercession of the saints who are pleasing to you Jesus Christ our Lord. Glory to you with the Father and the Holy Spirit, unto the ages of ages. Amen.

Lenten Recipes by Deacon Varoujan: Recipe 34: Red Bean Appetizer

Photo: The Church at Khorvirab, 2009KTN

The Conditions of Prayer – Day 30 of 40

/0 Comments/in , /by

Armodoxy for Today: The Conditions of Prayer – Day 30 of Lent

Much of your life has changed during this Lenten season and these past few days your prayer life has matured. Your prayers become calls to action, to realize the dreams that are set deep in your heart and not the desires based on the whims of today.

The model of the Lord’s Prayer, the “Our Father” is the quintessential prayer, because of its author and because of the make up of the prayer. It focuses on everything that is necessary for us. Including a condition statement.

We ask for God’s forgiveness to the extent that we forgive others. “Forgive us our trespasses” we say, “as we forgive those who trespass against us.” To receive forgiveness from our Father, we have to forgive others. If we partially forgive, we are then partially forgiven. If we forgive completely, we can expect the same forgiveness of our sins.

Forgiveness is such important part of prayer life that Jesus repeats this condition after giving us the Lord’s prayer. You’ll find in the verses that follow immediately Jesus explaining, “For if you forgive other people for their offenses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive other people, then your Father will not forgive your offenses.” (Matthew 6:14-15)

The effectiveness of the prayer is based on you being of clean heart. For this reason forgiveness is directly associated in the instruction to pray. Even more specifically, Jesus instructs us that, …Whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says.  Therefore, I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them. “And whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him, that your Father in heaven may also forgive you your trespasses. But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father in heaven forgive your trespasses.” (Mark 11:23-26)

Prayer is effective from a clean heart, one which has been wiped of sin. Herein we learn that the cleanliness of heart begins with us forgiving others.

The act of charity today is to forgive, plain and simple. Anyone who has hurt you, needs to be forgiven today, before you move forward. Fast from anger.

Treat yourself to Rice Dessert with Cherries, today’s recipe found below.

We pray, Lord, help me to forgive. I open myself up to you. You have forgiven me not only seven times, but seventy seven times seven times. Now, instill in me a heart that will move forward with forgiveness so that my prayers have meaning. Amen.

Lenten Recipes by Deacon Varoujan: Recipe 30: Rice Desert with Cherries

Sorting our Prayers – Day 28 of 40

/0 Comments/in , /by

Armodoxy for Today – Sorting our Prayers – Day 28 of Lent

Of the Lenten Sundays, three of them are named after parables which spotlight questionable characters. During the last two Sundays we met the Prodigal Son and the Dishonest Steward. Completing the trilogy of Parables-Sundays is the dedication for this 28th day of Lent to the Unrighteous Judge. All three parables come to us from our Lord and are found in the Gospel of Luke, chapter 16, 17 & 18, respectively.

The Unrighteous Judge is a man who, as Jesus explains, did not fear anyone – not even God, nor was he ashamed of any person. In the town where he served as judge a widow kept coming to him and pleading with him, begging that he hear her case. For some time he refused, but finally he said to himself, “Even though I don’t fear God, nor do I care about men, but because this widow keeps bothering me, I will see that she gets justice so she won’t eventually wear me out!” Jesus concludes his parable with an interesting statement. He says, “Listen to what the unjust judge says and will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones who cry out to him day and night. Will he keep putting them off? I tell you, He will see that they get justice, and quickly.”

Indeed, this is an odd story at least on the surface. At first reading you might think that Jesus compares God to this unrighteous, unjust judge. Following that parallel you’re inclined to think that God can be worn out or worn down. It is as if we continue to pray repeatedly, God will eventually say yes to our needs and to our desires. So keep praying, keep being persistent. Persevere like the old lady! And in the end God will be tired of hearing you and will change His mind! Yes, it is odd, and perhaps it is for that reason why the evangelist St. Luke, writes a few words of explanation as a preface to the parable. He says, “Jesus told His disciples this parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up.” St. Luke’s narrative suggests that during his time, as is the case today, there is a misconception about the nature of prayer.

When Jesus teaches us the “Lord’s Prayer” he warns, “Do not heap up extra words. Your heavenly Father already knows what you need. Therefore when you pray, pray like this. Our Father, which art in heaven … ” Let’s think about that for a moment. If our Heavenly Father knows what we need, why then should we pray? This question betrays the fact that we have a misunderstanding about prayer.

Prayer is not merely a conversation with God. We pray because we need a conversation with ourselves. God already knows the desires of our heart. He knows our needs and as a loving father, wants the best for us. The real question is, do we know our needs? It may sound strange, but unless you have a true focus on your life, it is questionable whether or not you know what your needs are. Hence, we have the Lenten Season, annually, to realign ourselves with God and ourselves.

The act of charity today is to extend yourself to someone in obvious need, a patient in the hospital, a person on the street, a bereaved friend. Without being intrusive and without asking them, can you understand what their needs are?  Fast from shopping list types of prayers.

Try Broiled Lemon-garlic Mushroom for tonight’s Lenten meal with the recipe below.

We pray, Lord our God, you know our needs and our wants better than we do. Open my heart to Your Love so that I may trust that You are in charge. Amen.

Lenten Recipes by Deacon Varoujan: Recipe 28: Broiled Lemon-garlic Mushrooms

 

Listening to Direction – Day 26 of 40

/0 Comments/in , /by

Armodoxy for Today: Listening to Direction – Day 26 of Lent

A good manager will always listen to the direction given by his or her boss, process it and follow it in a manner that reflects his or her own personality that gets the job done.

Remember a few weeks ago when we read that Jesus says, “Man does not live by bread alone but by every word that is spoken by God,” we thought of it in terms of the bare essentials, the bare minimum. But today that has changed because we have changed since we last read that passage. The challenge today, on this 26th day of Lent, is to really look at those same words “…By every word that comes out of the mouth of God…” as being the blessing, as being the fullness of God speaking to our hearts, to our ears that are listening from within and now acting. We are saying if God is speaking to us, if God is directing our ways, how can we go wrong? Can we possibly be steered in the wrong direction? Can we possibly think that our actions as stewards, as managers of that God-given life can be anything but a productive one? It will be a life filled with beauty, with ambiance, with love. The life we live today is an abundant one. “I came so that you would have life,” said the Lord, “and have it abundantly.” (John 10:10)  A life with Christ is a life in love. It is a life of abundance having everything that you need.

Your act of charity is to listen carefully to God’s calling. Fast from words or sounds that take you away from the Love of God.

Today’s menu is Cold Noodles in Spicy Sesame Sauce, the recipe is linked below.

We pray, Lord, open my ears to the sounds of righteousness. Since the day I was anointed before the holy font of baptism, my ears have been craving the sound of Your word, Your joy and Your presence. Keep my receptors open and clear to catch even Your slightest whispers in the cries of people in need. Amen.

 Lenten Recipes by Deacon Varoujan: Recipe 26: Cold Noodles in Spicy Sesame Sauce

Cover Photo: K.T.Nalik 2009

Gifted Talents – Day 23 of 40

/0 Comments/in , /by

Armodoxy for Today: Gifted Talents – Day 23 of Lent

We began this week with the Parable of the Dishonest Steward (Luke 16) which brought us to a discussion of stewardship. We continue today by asking, what are the talents that we possess? How can we use them? How can we improve our own lives, as well as the lives of our families, friends and community using those talents? God has given us the resources that we need to deal with life. He has given us the ability, the strength and the courage to move forward. He has given us breath! He has also endowed us with talents. Do you sing or play music? Are you able to craft something? Do you have reasoning and logical skills? Can you invest? Can you make money? Can you heal? Can you console? Can you walk in harmony with others? These are gifts from God.

Jesus says, “He who has been faithful in a little, will be trusted with much.” Take your talent and create! Invest it and make more, whatever your talent may be. As an ambassador of God, that is, an ambassador of Love, you now have a responsibility to use your talents wisely to bring the presence of God into your own life as well as the lives of the people around you – your family, friends and ultimately, the world.

There is one provision to our use of talents that is often forgotten, you do not have a right to ignore your gifts and talents. You are the manager of your life. You must use what has been given you.

Your act of charity to is to assign your talents for use. Fast from negativity. All things are possible with God.

Enjoy a Lenten treat today – Roasted Red Pepper and Fresh Chickpea Pasta, the recipe is below.

We pray, Heavenly Father, you have created each and everyone of us unique and in that uniqueness you have endowed us with gifts of talent and energy. Help me to explore and exploit those talents for the betterment of our life and our world. Amen.

Lenten Recipes by Deacon Varoujan: Recipe 23: Roasted Red Pepper and Fresh Chickpea Pasta

Alpha Omega – Day 8 of 40

/0 Comments/in , /by

Armodoxy for Today: Alpha Omega

The person of Jesus Christ is central to our Armenian Church and everything that we do within our Church. To fully engage in the Lenten season and the spiritual exercises that are tied to the season, it is essential to understand this very basic premise.

We began this second week of Lent, yesterday, Expulsion Sunday, with the reading prescribed for the day from the Gospel of Matthew chapter 5, where Jesus pronounces, “Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill …”

Jesus is the fulfillment of the law and the prophets. He is the “Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End, the First and the Last.” (Revelation 22:13) Or, in our vernacular, the A and the Z, the Ա (ayb) and the Ք (keh).

The Lenten season and the exercises are about connecting to the fulfillment and the completeness of life. Our journey takes its first turn today, from the foundation and fundamentals to the applications.

Today’s exercise involves gaging your acts of charity. Turn within to question your motives and your feelings in doing unto others. Do you feel comfortable with those motives and feelings? Or, should there be something more.

Fast today from motivated giving. Give without any expectation in return, including your own personal satisfaction. Is that possible?

The week begins with a recipe for Almond French toast (below).

We pray, from St. Gregory of Narek, (44)  As the soul is for the living beings and
thought for the rational beings, as radiance is for glory, and form for substance,
as caring for life, and mindfulness for mercy, as giving in charity, and resolve in salvation,
as abundance in generosity, flow in continuity, as fullness for perfection, richness in inexhaustibility,
as long in forbearance, exalted in unreachableness, they are one perfect trinity,
of three persons, blessed forever. Amen. (Translated by Thomas J. Samuelian)

Lenten Recipes by Deacon Varoujan: Recipe 8: Almond French Toast

Shadows Away – Day 6 of 40

/0 Comments/in , /by

Armodoxy for Today: Shadows Away – Day 6 of Lent

Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning. – James 1:17

One of our Church Fathers remarked that when facing the Sun, we see no shadows. It is only when we turn away from the sun that we notice shadows.

The Sun is the source of light and energy for our planet. Even in the shadows there is enough light to energize us and all of life. This is a testament to the power of the Sun.

Jesus is the Light of the World. He illuminates the darkness. We find no shadows nor places to hide when we turn toward him. And on those moments when we turn away, and so notice the shadows, He is still energizing us and all of life.

Fast today, from all that brings darkness. And practice charity by turning toward the light of Sun, and the Light of the Son. They both illuminate and they both offer warmth. At that point, think of the words of the Psalmist, “Be still and know that I am God.” (46:10)

It sounds simple, as is today’s recipe of roasted veggies, found in the show notes.

From Gregory of Narek, we pray (18): O kind Son of God, have compassion upon my misery. Hear the sobbing of my agitated voice. Bring me back to life with the dew of your blessed eyes as you brought back your friend from breathless death. In a dungeon of infirmities, I am captive, bitter and in doubt. Give me your hand, sun that casts no shadows, Son on high, and lift me into your radiant light. (translated Thomas J. Samuelian)

Lenten Recipes by Deacon Varoujan: Recipe 6: Roasted Veggies

Ashes – Day 3 of 40

/0 Comments/in , /by

Armodoxy for Today: Ashes – Day 3

The Ash Wednesday custom is the beginning of Lenten Season in the West, two days after its start in the Armenian Church. The ash cross that is smeared on a person’s forehead is an outward sign and reminder that the Lenten season is a period of contemplation, a time to reflect on life. As the ashes are administered, the officiant clergy says, “Dust to dust, ashes to ashes,” as a reminder of our mortality. In the Armenian Church Tradition, at the burial service the priest blesses the earth with similar words pointing to the creation story in Genesis (3:19), “for you are dust and to dust you shall return.”

So today, the Christian world of the West joins us in the season of Lent. And whether it was the ashes, or the practice of one act of charity, one expression of the fast and one prayer, as we prescribed, the tone has been set for Lent.

Today’s act of charity is the simplest you will do this entire season. It’s a monetary donation. Make a donation to charity – a check or an offering in a collection plate, moving your treasure, grounds your heart for Jesus says, “For where your treasure is, there shall your heart be also.” (Matthew 6:21)

Try Spicy Peanut Noodles for your meal today and realize that there is goodness in less.

Welcoming our brothers and sisters from the Western traditions, we offer this prayer on today, “Almighty and everlasting God, you hate nothing you have made and forgive the sins of all who are penitent: Create and make in us new and contrite hearts, that we, worthily lamenting our sins and acknowledging our wretchedness, may obtain of you, the God of all mercy, perfect remission and forgiveness; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.” (Book of Common Prayer)

Lenten Recipes by Deacon Varoujan: Recipe 3: Spicy Peanut Noodles