Tag Archive for: Muiron

Muiron: Through the Cassocks

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Armodoxy for Today: Muiron from the Center

At the Blessing of the Holy Muiron, thousands of people come from throughout the world to witness this event which occurs once every seven years. For many who attend it is a once-in-a-lifetime event, something they have only heard about. Today, thanks to technology, the Blessing is streamed live and remains as a memory forever as a recording on digital platforms. With digital broadcasts, people anywhere on earth, with even humble means are able to witness this event. Today we will mark our scorecards with more hints of who’s who, based on their attire.

Not all who wear black are priests. The black cassock is the attire of the monastery. Deacons, priests and bishops – all three of the main orders – wear the black cassock. The priest – the kahana – may wear a pectoral cross if granted by his bishop, or upon passing his doctoral examine. Those wearing the hood – veghar – but without crosses are likely to be apegha-s. Those with hoods and the pectoral cross are the vartabeds. The ones with the hood, but wearing a panake – an oval medallion with the Holy Virgin and Child Jesus pictured on it are the bishops. The one with the diamond studded cross on his hood is the Catholicos of All Armenians. He may wear a panake or sometimes, the double-headed eagle as a symbol of authority.

A bishop is ordained for the purpose of overseeing a diocese. Those bishops assigned to a diocese are referred to as arachnort, Primates or Prelates. Dioceses are geographic areas that exist in Armenia and throughout the world. The Armenian Church has three other geographic areas outside of Armenia, that also have historic relevance, these have their own rules of governance. The Catholicosate of the See of Cilicia, today functioning out of Lebanon, has a Catholicos who heads it and consecrates bishops for service to the See. Jerusalem, because of its significance in Christianity, has an archbishop whose title is Patriarch. Likewise, in Istanbul, once Constantinople, the archbishop who is the ecclesiastical head of this geography is referred to as a Patriarch. Technically, use of the double-headed eagle was reserved for the Patriarch of Constantinople, because it was the “Center” of the world. The two heads of the eagle point right and left, as to signify from one end to the other end of the earth.

During the Blessing of Muiron ceremony, the Catholicos of All Armenians stands in the center, surrounded by the bishops of the church. Their order is not random. They line up according to their seniority within the Church, is based on their date of ordination. Standing next to the Catholicos are either the Catholicos of Cilicia or his representative, followed by the Patriarchs of Jerusalem and Constantinople or their representative. Bishops participate by holding many of the relics and artifacts   that are held at Etchmiadzin, including the lance – the spear – which pierce the side of Jesus while he was on the Cross, and the holy relic of St. Gregory the Illuminator.

We pray today, Remember Lord, all the faithful everywhere, of men and women, old and young, who in faith and holiness come to you for strength and courage, to lead and guide your Holy Church. Amen.

Cover: Aghtamar/Holy Cross 2014 Epostle

Muiron Scorecard

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Armodoxy for Today: Score Card for Muiron Blessing

“You can’t tell the players without a scorecard,” is a phrase that comes to us from a time long ago, before large-screen monitors at stadiums, way back when baseball players didn’t even have their names written on their shirts, those fans sitting way up in the bleachers at a baseball games were too far away to identify the players. The only way to tell who was who was by purchasing a scorecard.

As we continue in this deep dive into the Muiron Blessing, today’s message is to help you identify who’s who at the Blessing. Among the thousands of pilgrims attending the ceremony, there will be clergy from throughout the world, and those participating in the ceremony will be donning special ornate vestments of the occasion. Get your scorecard ready and let’s start with the very basics.

In the Christian Church there are three orders of clergy: deacon, priest and bishop. All the prefixes that are added to these orders, such as “avak” or “arch” are honorary titles. The orders are conferred through ordination and, in the case of priests and bishops, through consecration with Holy Muiron. In the Armenian Church, we have a fourth order, that of Catholicos – the chief bishop of the Church – who is consecrated to his order.

Deacons, sagavac in Armenian, are ordained to serve at the “table” as noted in Holy Scripture (Acts 6) and many of the deacons today limit their work to serving at the holy altar on Sundays. There are deacons who are assigned to positions such as chaplaincies.

The priest is ordained and consecrated to minister within the Church. The priest may officiate at all of the Sacraments except ordination, which is reserved for the bishop. All priests, kahana in Armenian, are ordained in the same manner. The monastics, that is the monks, take a vow of celibacy following their ordination and are assigned to one of the monastic brotherhoods of the Church. They are referred to as abegha in Armenian. The outward appearance of monastic clergy is highlighted by the head covering in the shape of the Armenian dome and referred to as a veghar.

A priest who finishes his doctoral dissertation may then receive a doctoral degree and accordingly is referred to as a vartabed, a “doctor” of Church. The degree of vartabed and, after more study, the degree of dzayrkouyn vartabed (higher level) is conferred through an ecclesiastical service. These degrees were given on scholastic merit and not on marital status, as is popularly assumed because following the massacres of the 1800s and the Genocide in 1915, many of the monastic institutions and these traditions were skewed due to the massive clergy shortage and the necessity to place monastics in the parishes. Today, with the increasing demands put upon the priests to engage with their parishioners, parish priests graduate with degrees, yet the Church has been slow to return to its early form.

From the monastic community bishops are selected. They are consecrated by the Catholicos. They are the overseers and assigned to dioceses – geographic areas – to oversee and direct the Church. They are referred to by their Greek name, episcopos. On the small finger of their right hand they wear an episcopal ring.

From the bishops, a Catholicos is selected and consecrated. The position, which is an administrative one, is for life. The Catholicos of All Armenians, has a small diamond cross on his veghar and the ring of authority is on his right ring finger.

Tomorrow we will fill your score card with the different functions these clergy hold within the church. Let us pray, Lord, you created order out of chaos, and paradise is a reflection of that order. We thank you for the order you have given to your Holy Church to meet the needs of our world. Amen.

Healing Muiron

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Armodoxy for Today: Healing Muiron

When I arrived at the St. Garabed Armenian Church in Rancho Mirage, California, the Pastor, Deacon Gevork, upon greeting me, introduced me to Gina Anzor. I was at St. Garabed on that Sunday morning to celebrate the Divine Liturgy. It was the Feast of the Assumption of the Holy Asdvadzadzin. Deacon Gevork also asked that I celebrate the Sacrament of Anointing, that is Consecration with Holy Muiron on Gina. Little did I realize that I would also be witnessing a double miracle.

Gina had come to the church at the direction of priest Fr. Ronald, a retired member of the Roman Catholic Church clergy. She had no ties to the Armenian Church, neither ethnically nor through marriage, but it was obvious that the Spirit had driven her to this Church. She had come this day to be accepted as a full consecrated member of the Holy Armenian Apostolic Church. In preparation for this moment, Deacon Gevork had instructed Gina on the heart and teaching of the Armenian Church, and he served as her godfather.

As we prepared for the Sacrament, I introduced Gina to the congregation and congratulated them on this most auspicious occasion. The first miracle occured that day was when we reflected on our history, that only one hundred years ago, Armenians were on the verge of extinction. They had risen to the cross to be crucified! But today, not only has the nation resurrected, but the Church is attracting from outside the Armenian nation converts! I explained that this was not a conversion of Faith. Gina was baptized in the Roman Catholic Church. Our consecration with the Holy Muiron is to give her the essentials and the strength with which to grow and mature in her faith and in Orthodox Tradition.

Dripping the Holy Muiron from its container, we sang a hymn addressed to the Holy Spirit. I proceeded to consecrate all her senses, as explained in this series a few days ago. At the end of the service, the congregation welcomed her with applause and well wishes.

A few days later, Gina wrote a note to Deacon Gevork and herein we find the second miracle.

Nine years ago I lost the vision in my left eye and feeling in my left hand. Problems from being a life-long insulin dependent diabetic. I was told by retinal specialists that nothing would improve my vision. I’ve had 3 hand surgeries in the past 2 years and it has helped a little.  Since the anointing, the vision in my left eye is so much better.  I am typing this and can read the words!  My left hand is free from pain.  Thank you so much for supporting me in the journey.  At 74 years old I feel like a new human being.  Healthy, happy and I have a church home. See you Sunday. – Gina

The Holy Spirit touches us daily and in many different ways. The Sacraments are the means by which the Holy Spirit reaches out to us and the anointing by Holy Muiron is a tangible expression of the Spirit’s touch.

We pray, from the Mashdots, the prayer following Chrismation, Blessed are You provident God that has clothed Your child with a garment of salvation and with a robe of gladness and place a helmet of redemption and a crown of grace on their head as an indestructible armor against the Adversary. Amen.

The Chrism

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Armodoxy for Today: The Chrism

Chrism is a special oil used for anointing. The word Christ comes from the Chrism. Christ means “the anointed one.” Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, is Jesus, the anointed one.

Chrism is sometimes referred to as myrrh (as in one of the gifts brought to Baby Jesus by the Wise Men) or in our case, in the Armenian Church, we call it Holy Muiron. It is used in the traditional churches, such as in the Roman Catholic or Eastern Orthodox churches, to anoint, that is, to seal, much like the “Amen” that finishes our prayers. With it, faith is sealed. While the preparation of Holy Murion differs among the churches, the Armenian Church’s use of symbolism is as unique as is the fact that the Muiron from previous blessings, from the time of Christ, is added to the new batch, thus tying the present community to the eternal group of believers proclaiming a unifying message of love and peace for humankind. At Jesus’ birth, the angels proclaimed, “Peace on Earth and goodwill toward one another” and with each anointing we seal and say Amen to those words as our direction in Faith.

The make up of Muiron is olive oil, balsam and the essence of fragrant flowers, each of which has special meaning and purpose as we will learn.

Muiron is used to consecrate people, objects and sacred spaces. Each of these consecrations is the responsibility of different orders within the Church. For instance a priest may consecrate one who is baptized. A Bishop may consecrate priests for service within the Church and may consecrate buildings and objects for service within the Church. And the Chief Bishop, or Catholicos, has the authority to bless the Holy Muiron as well as consecrate bishops for service within the Church.

The Muiron is consecrated every seven years. Seven is a mystical number within Armodoxy. In the Armenian alphabet the seventh letter “eh” which is the present tense of the verb “to be.” It is the name of God, “He is” who exists in the eternal present. The Catholicos, on being elected and consecrated, may decide to bless Muiron on the first year of his pontificate after which the clock counts up, seven years to the next blessing.

God speaks to us through the Sacraments and especially through the Holy Muiron. He is speaking to you today, and He always has. It is up to us listen, hear, and make the choice to follow or act. The beginning of that action is with an affirmation – and Amen – an anointing.

Tomorrow, we’ll listen and hear how he speaks to us through the Muiron.

Let us pray, Lord our God, according to Your Good Will, fill my heart with Your peace. Cleanse me from all blemishes, guile and hypocrisy, malice and the remembrance of evil. Amen.

Groundwork for Muiron

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Muiron from Armenia to your home, a miniseries in celebration of the consecration of the Holy Muiron.

As we explore the meaning of muiron, its preparation and symbolism we begin with a scriptural passage to put our purpose for this series and ultimately the purpose of the muiron, in perspective. It is the first step in understanding this most mystical element that ties us to humanity and the Divine.

From the Gospel of St. Luke (7) we read, Then one of the Pharisees asked Jesus to eat with him. And He went to the Pharisee’s house, and sat down to eat. And a woman in the city who was a sinner, brought an alabaster flask of fragrant oil, and stood at His feet behind Him weeping; and she began to wash His feet with her tears, and wiped them with the hair of her head; and she kissed His feet and anointed them with the fragrant oil. Now when the Pharisee who had invited Him saw this, he spoke to himself, saying, “This Man, if He were a prophet, would know who and what manner of woman this is who is touching Him, for she is a sinner.”

And Jesus said to him, “Simon, I have something to say to you…. There was a certain creditor who had two debtors. One owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. And when they had nothing with which to repay, he freely forgave them both. Tell Me, therefore, which of them will love him more?”

Simon answered and said, “I suppose the one whom he forgave more.”

And He said to him, “You have rightly judged.” Then He turned to the woman and said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I entered your house; you gave Me no water for My feet, but she has washed My feet with her tears and wiped them with the hair of her head. You gave Me no kiss, but this woman has not ceased to kiss My feet since the time I came in. You did not anoint My head with oil, but this woman has anointed My feet with fragrant oil. Therefore, I say to you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven, for she loved much. But to whom little is forgiven, the same loves little.”

Then He said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.”

And those who sat at the table with Him began to say to themselves, “Who is this who even forgives sins?” Then He said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you. Go in peace.”

Today, I ask that you meditate on this very revealing passage. More than the similar passage we read yesterday, this one points to the purpose of the act of anointing, and thus lays the groundwork for the Muiron blessing. There is a reason for the Muiron blessing that touches our daily life and our relations with one another. Forgiveness leads to harmony and peace with ourselves, our brothers and sisters and with the world.

By no means is it to be taken lightly, it is the necessary step before we begin to dive deep into the Muiron blessing tomorrow. And so, contemplate these thoughts.

Cover Photo: Ground before the Garden, 2017 Movsesian

The Spirit of Muiron

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Armodoxy for Today: The Spirit of Muiron

And when Jesus was in Bethany at the house of Simon the leper, a woman came to Him having an alabaster flask of very costly fragrant oil, and she poured it on His head as He sat at the table. But when His disciples saw it, they were indignant, saying, “Why this waste? For this fragrant oil might have been sold for much and given to the poor.”

But when Jesus was aware of it, He said to them, “Why do you trouble the woman? For she has done a good work for Me. For you have the poor with you always, but Me you do not have always. For in pouring this fragrant oil on My body, she did it for My burial. Assuredly, I say to you, wherever this gospel is preached in the whole world, what this woman has done will also be told as a memorial to her.” (Matthew 26)

This short episode which is recorded in the Gospels of Matthew, Mark and John displays a side of Jesus which is often not discussed. Jesus puts his concern for the poor “on hold” for this brief moment as a costly oil shared with him.

Every seven years the Armenian Church takes a break from all the difficulties it faces and the cares of world and focuses on the preparation of the Holy Muiron – the Holy Chrism. From the time of Christ, this holy oil comes to us and its preparation involves the collecting the essence of fragrant flowers, a 40 day processing with the prayers, and spiritual vibrations, a most spiritually profound and inspiring services presided by the Catholicos and attended by thousands of clergy and pilgrims from throughout the world and blessing it with the lance that pierced Jesus’ side on the Cross, and with the Holy Relic of St. Gregory. Every seven years the Muiron is renewed, adding the prayers and history of the centuries past to the present mix.

Join me during the next few weeks, as I give you a very special Armodox view of the Holy Muiron. Through these daily messages we will explore together the preparation process, the prayers, the hymns, the purpose of Muiron, the presence of the Holy Spirit in this ancient tradition, and why it is essential to take a break from the difficulties of the day to bring this holy anointing into our lives. This is Armodoxy for Today… The Holy Muiron from the time of Christ to Today.

O Christ, anoint my soul with your love, anoint my ears with your voice and anoint my eyes with your light as I prepare to learn and grow in the sacred tradition of Holy Muiron. Have mercy on me. Amen.