Tag Archive for: Sarkis

Chocolates to Life

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Armodoxy for Today: Chocolates to Life

“I was beaten with clubs,” began the post atop an icon in the Eastern Orthodox style. It grabbed my attention, in a “sacred” contrast to most of the posts we’re accustomed to seeing on social media. “I was beaten with clubs, beheaded, buried under the cover of darkness, disinterred by my followers, and you commemorate my martyrdom by sending each other chocolates.”

Yes, indeed, it did grab my attention. The point was well made. It was an icon of St. Valentine. I had included a brief mention of him in my February 14 daily message and had already published my message for the following day on Saint Sarkis, when I read this post. The message was poignant and profound. In celebrating the lives of the saints, it is easy to forget about their sufferings, in these cases of their martyrdom, as they put it all on the line for the Faith that we enjoy today. I would liken this to the concept of “cheap grace” coined by the Protestant theologian, Deitrich Bonhoeffer. Briefly, it is the idea that salvation and forgiveness can be obtained without genuine repentance and a commitment to a life of discipleship. Or bluntly, what do the chocolates have to do with this man’s real-to-life struggle?

For the celebration of St. Valentine, chocolates, flowers and cards seem to be the fare. For St. Sarkis, I can at least speak for the Armenian community, it is congratulations and even parties celebrating the name, without a reflection on the life of the saint.

An easy antidote for this situation – to put the emphasis back into these saints as symbols of Christian endurance and ultimately victory, is to think of the action that took place and challenge yourself to do the same. No one is asking you deny your faith, let alone die for it, so take the route of living your faith. Saints – Valentine, Sarkis, or the hundreds of others – are people who lived the Christian faith. In their works and their example, we find strength to live the Christian life in the world today.

A prayer from St. Mesrob Mashdots, Mighty King, refuge of the thirsty, Savior of the troubled, who succumbed to suffering for us at the hands of rulers. Prohibit Evil from enslaving those whom You have saved. Forbid the Evil One from seeking refuge in the House of God. With Your diving love, have mercy upon your creatures. Amen.  

St. Sarkis Especially for Today

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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. As he was about to be executed, he prayed a prayer for his followers, “O Lord, Christ our God, all those who remember my name during their trials and tribulations, and who remember this event with prayers and fasting, hear their prayers and grant to them all their desires.”
A voice was heard from heaven saying, “I will give you what you have requested, as for you, come home to enjoy the goodness that has been prepared for you.”

I spared 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.”

Often the physical disciplines (e.g. fasting) have replaced the more important reasons for the fasting, namely the message of Jesus Christ. 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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Dad’s Tears on Veterans Day

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Armodoxy for Today: Dad’s Tears on Veterans Day

Few things made my father cry. Sarkis was one of them.

Sarkis is forever 20 in my head. He was killed in Vietnam on a day that I cannot forget. That day was one of renewal for the Armenians living in Los Angeles. It was the Summer of 1970 and for the first time a group of dancers and musicians had journeyed from Armenia to fill our hearts and souls with the ancient culture. We were at the Wilshire Ebell Theater and it was a crowd akin to a rock concert of today, with the same type of enthusiasm and joy. I think it was Levon Gasoyan dancing the Shepherd’s dance, when he demonstrated his acrobatic coordination, set to an Armenian tune and beat. It was the same dance I had seen Sarkis perform many times before his deployment to the war. Sarkis was part of the same ensemble in which my parents danced.

That afternoon in the Ebell theater Sarkis’ father loudly applauding and cheering the Armenian dancer, probably remembering his son as he watched this demonstration from the homeland. Ironically, was on that day, later, that we found out that Sarkis had died in a grenade attack.

The details didn’t matter to my dad. He’d never really talk about it to us. But we would see the pain in his eyes.

A couple of times a year, we would go to the Inglewood Park Cemetery in honor of family members that had passed away. Both my grandfathers’ graves are at this cemetery and later my grandmothers would join them there as well. There was a ritual we’d go through – purchasing flowers at the cemetery florist, driving to the grave, searching the tombstones amid the hundreds. We’d find one grandpa, clean the grave, place the flowers in the metal cup, say a prayer and listen while grandma would remember her husband. Then packing everyone in the car, we’d head over to our other grandfather’s grave. Same gestures of grave-cleaning, placing flowers, offering prayers, while the other grandma would have her turn to reflect here.

Before 1970, that was the end of the ritual. But things changed after Sarkis’ death. My dad would stop the car at Sarkis’ grave just before we left the park. We didn’t understand it quite well – after all, we were young kids. This dead person didn’t belong to our family. Why clean the grave? Place flowers? Offer a prayer? But as the saying goes, he who has the car keys makes the decision, and so we’d stop at this grave. There we would offer the same formula-prayer, but no grandma-talk, instead we’d see my dad cry. It was a silent witness to the big injustice of war. He couldn’t reconcile the notion of a young life being gone for a war no one understood. He’d shake his head. One time, I vaguely remember him saying something like “the grandpas died when they were old. There was no reason for Sarkis to die.”

We didn’t realize that there was more to my dad’s tears than Sarkis’ loss until many years later. It was at a local parade, when a group of military men – soldiers and veterans – marched by that my sister told me dad was crying away. He’d swell up with emotions over the loss of life during war.

My turn came at my dad’s funeral. I remember making it fairly well through the speeches and services both in the church and at the gravesite. But at the end of the service, when they removed Old Glory from the top of my dad’s casket, folded it and handed it to our mom, I lost it. They presented the flag to her saying, “This is for your husband’s service to his country.” My dad served in the Army during the Korean War. He never talked about it. He just was proud to be an American, understood the sacrifice to stay American and hurt that some people never had a chance to enjoy the fruits of their labor or sacrifice.

I know it was more than Sarkis that made him cry. It was the price of freedom. It was the nonsense of war. It was the injustice of the pick – the poor and naïve fought the wars brought about by the rich and educated.

This year on Veterans Day I heard on the news that the President placed a wreath at the tomb of the Unknown Soldier. The newscaster may or may not have taken a breath before reporting the next story that more funds are being requested for the ongoing wars in Ukraine and Israel.

Today is Veteran’s Day. We honor the Veterans of all wars. Formerly it was called “Armistice Day” marking the end of the First World War. Either way, it’s connected to something for which we need to find a solution for the sake of our tears, for the sake of our lives.

St. Sarkis

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There are a few saints that stand out above others and are revered specially by the Armenian people. One of them is St. Sarkis, who has a unique following among the Armenians. Parents name their boys Sarkis, and as a family name, it is among the most common. 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).

While his story contains unpleasant and gruesome details, I offer it today for a reason.

With the conversion of Constantine to Christianity and the spread of Christianity in the Roman Empire, Sarkis went throughout the kingdom tearing down pagan altars and constructing Christian churches. When he arrived in Persia he served as a Captain in King Shaboo’s military. When the king learned that Sarkis was converting his soldiers, he demanded that Sarkis worship before a statue of his pagan god and fire. Sarkis’ reply was definite, “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. His punishment for converting people to Christianity was beheading. As he was about to be executed, he prayed a prayer for his followers, “O Lord, Christ our God, all those who remember my name during their trials and tribulations, and who remember this event with prayers and fasting, hear their prayers and grant to them all their desires.”

A voice was heard from heaven saying, “I will give you what you have requested, as for you, come home to enjoy the goodness that has been prepared for you.”

When he was beheaded, 14 Persian soldiers who followed Sarkis, tended to his remains, wrapping his body in preparation for burial. The King was infuriated and had them killed as well.

To this day, even among the Persians, Sarkis is referred to as “The invincible witness and grantor of all requests.” Every year, on this day following the Fast of the Catechumens St. Sarkis, his son Mardiros, and the 14 followers are remembered in the Church, and even more, among the people who approach the feast with fasting and prayer. Often, because of the Fast of the Catechumens is just before St. Sarkis’ day, the lessons of the day are forgotten and the physical disciplines (e.g. fasting) have replaced those important reasons for the fasting, namely the message of Jesus Christ. Even today, some folk myths still circulate among the people with seeing St. Sarkis in dreams, eating salt and water (from the fast) as signals for falling in love and betrothal.

The story of St. Sarkis should inspire us to stay firm in our belief. As gruesome as it is, I share it today so we understand that the greatest gift of life has been given for this faith. Also, as a warning that religion can get out of hand. What St. Sarkis did was a sacrifice and true bravery to stand up for his beliefs in the face of physical danger. On the other hand it can, and has for many, turned into a simple exercise to acquire their desires, rather than an opportunity to center their life around Christ, as was the desire of St. Sarkis.

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.”