Tag Archive for: Saints

Saints

Armodoxy for Today
Saints

Saints are perhaps one of the most misunderstood elements of the Church. Saints are not God. We don’t worship saints. Saints are human, people, just like you and me. Just like us, they have free will. They have doubts, in fact, some have had doubts about God as well as about matters of Faith.

Jesus says, “Courage, the victory is mine. I have overcome the world.” The saints are those who took Jesus for his word, took on the challenges of the world with courage and overcame their condition and therefore, share in the victory with Christ.

In the Armenian Church, the feast of All Saints is celebrated in on a Saturday in November. In the West, All Saints is a fixed feast, that is, it is celebrated on the first day of November. The night before All Saints Day, is appropriately called All Saints Eve, or Hallows Eve, sloppily transformed into Halloween. In the Armenian Church the tradition of the evening before the feast is called Nakhadonak.

Saints have passed on from their physical life, and, as scripture refers to it, they have fallen asleep in Christ. People have tried to grapple with the notion of an end to a physical existence and have pondered about the possibilities of ghosts, hence the connection with some of the popular customs that emphasize death and spooky manifestations of the afterlife surrounding Halloween. Coupled with the huge profit motive in selling costumes, masks, movies, stories of horror, etc., the original intention and connection with saints is forgotten.

Saints give us examples of living. If you or I try (or dare) to compare our lives with Jesus Christ we are doomed for failure because Jesus is perfect. We will always fall short of perfection. But in looking at the saints, we have a model. They are human and therefore they live with frailties and imperfections; however, in their lives they were able to rise from the human condition, and for us today, they give us a model and an example for living.

From St. Nersess’ prayer, (#7), Beholder of all, I have sinned against You, in thought, word or deed. Blot out the handwriting of my offenses and write my name in the book of Life. Amen.

Peprone

Next Step with Fr. Vazken #694: Discovering St. Peprone – a relatively unknown saint of the 3rd century, brings a message to the believer and to the world today. Fr. Vazken connects the dots twixt the saint, us and our lives today.
St. Peprone, saint of the Armenian Church
St. Febronia of Nsibus (OCA website)
Febronia icon
Sermon on Cross of Varak
Holy Cross of Varak
Datevik “Listen to My Heart
Gagavik lyrics
Cover icon
Produced by Suzie Shatarevyan for InHisShoes.org
Listen via Stitcher Radio on demand!
Listen on Apple Podcasts

Life beyond the Mall

Next Step #365: In this episode: The Mystery of the canonization of the saints – are we at “Vartanantz + 100” and other questions: The importance of the 37th & 38th letter; Anush Opera – a spectacular presentation by Lark Musical Society; and… the zombification of the mall-walkers – life inside and outside the mall.
“Have a Little Heart” by Melineh Kurdian
Lark Musical Society
Vartanantz
100 Year Journey
Dawn of the Dead
Our feed has moved! Subscribe to In His Shoes » Next Step with Fr. Vazken by Email to continue receiving notifications when new episodes are published.
Engineered by Ken Nalik
Produced by Suzie Shatarevyan for InHisShoes.org
Look for The Next Step on blubrry.com
Listen via Stitcher Radio on demand! 

Kahanayk to Iverin

Next Step #359: A special 100 Anniversary of the Genocide edition of the Next Step. Sharing energy from the human spirit.
Canonization of the Saints
On the canonization
Songs from Gor Mkhitarian
Armen Chakmakian
Armen Movsisyan
Ara Geverokian
Hovhaness Badalyan
Rouben Matevossian
Our feed has moved! Subscribe to In His Shoes » Next Step with Fr. Vazken by Email to continue receiving notifications when new episodes are published.
Engineered by Ken Nalik
Produced by Suzie Shatarevyan for InHisShoes.org
Look for The Next Step on blubrry.com
Listen via Stitcher Radio on demand! 

Making saints out of Halloween and Religion

Next Step #125 – October 28, 2010

Putting the Saints back into Halloween. Nothing to fear unless you’re peddling religion to children. Didn’t we say religion is not for kids! We find Patriarch Kyrll and Pope Benedict on the same page? In His Shoes hits the $ 500,000 mark to aid children of Genocide. Religion in the World: Pew Research
The quiz: http://features.pewforum.org/quiz/us-religious-knowledge/index.php
Nicholas Kristoff’s adaption: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/10/opinion/10kristof.html?_r=1
Song “Horovel” by Rouben Matevosyan
Ani’s Bubbles: “Homeless Outreach”
Produced by Suzie Shatarevyan for epostle.net

updated 041821 mm