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THE ALTAR OF

LIGHT

ST. VARTAN ARMENIAN CHURCH OF MISSISSAUGA

FFFFFFFFFFFFF PERIODICAL Սեպտեմբեր – September 25, 2011

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BIBLE READINGS

Gal. 6:14-18

As for me, may I never boast about anything except the cross of our Lord Jesus

Christ.

Because of that cross,

my interest in this world has been crucified,

and the world’s interest in me has also died

It doesn’t matter whether we have

been circumcised or not. What

counts is whether we have been

transformed into a new creation.

May God’s peace and mercy be

upon all who live by this principle;

they are the new people of God.

From now on, don’t let anyone trouble me with these things. For I bear on my

body the scars that show I belong to Jesus.

Dear brothers and sisters, may the grace of our Lord

JESUS CHRIST

be with your spirit. Amen.

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Matthew 24: 30-36

“Then will appear the sign of the Son of Man

in heaven. And then all the peoples of the

earth will mourn when they see the Son of

Man coming on the clouds of heaven, with

power and great glory. And he will send his

angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will

gather his elect from the four winds, from

one end of the heavens to the other.

“Now learn this lesson from the fig tree: As

soon as its twigs get tender and its leaves

come out, you know that summer is near.

Even so, when you see all these things, you

know that it is near, right at the door. Truly I

tell you, this generation will certainly not

pass away until all these things have

happened. Heaven and earth will pass away,

but my words will never pass away.

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Liturgical Calendar

September 26 - October 09, 2011

26 Saints David of Dvin and the Martyrs Eulampius and Eulampia

27 Saints Eustathius, his wife Theopiste and their two sons, and the Holy

Virgins Hermione and Catherine

28 Fast

29 The Saintly Princes Sahak and Hamazasb

30 Fast

October

1 Seventy Two Holy Disciples of Christ

2 Fourth Sunday after the Holy Cross

3 Saints Phocas the Patriarch and Irenaeus of Lyons, follower of the

Apostles

4 Virgin Saints Thecla, Barbara and Pelagia

5 Fast

6 Saints Pantaleon the Physician, Hermolaus the Priest and Eupraxia the

Virgin

7 Fast

8 Holy Translators Mesrop, Yeghishe, Moses the Poet, David the

Philosopher, Gregory of Narek and Nerses the Graceful

9 Fifth Sunday after the Holy Cross

OUR NEXT DIVINE LITURGY IS ON

Sunday, OCTOBER 9, 2011, at 1:00pm

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Feast of the Holy Cross of Varak

All Christian Churches each year solemnly celebrate all feasts dedicated to the

Holy Cross. The Armenian Apostolic Church, in difference to the other Christian

Churches, celebrates another purely national feast dedicated to the Holy Cross,

which is famous as the Holy Cross of Varague. The Armenian Church celebrates

this feast two weeks after the Feast of Exaltation of the HolyCross, that is the

Sunday during the period of September 25 – October 1.

According to the historian Agathangelos, St. Hripsime and her companions,

running away from the Roman Emperor Dioklethianos, who started persecutions

against Christians, reach to Armenia and find shelter in Vagaharshapat.

However, before reaching Vagharshapat they stop at the Mountain Varague,

which is to the southeast from the Lake Van. Taking off from her neck the relic of

the Lord’s Wooden Cross, St. Hripsime gives it to the praying monks living on the

mountain and asks them to preserve it in one of the caves. Thus, the sacred relic

remains hidden till the seventh century.

In 653 A. D. the monk Todik and his disciple Hovel pray at the Mountain Varague

and ask God to show the place of the relic. Suddenly 12 bright columns appear

around the mountain and the sign of the Cross is seen among the columns. For

12 days the bright columns remain visible even from distant sites. This joyful

news spreads everywhere.

Nerses the Creator Catholicos who was the Catholicos of All Armenians of that

period, and Captain Vard, son the Knight Theodoros, learning about that miracle,

go the Mountain Varague to personally witness it. With the support of the

Armenian people the Pontiff builds a magnificent church, which in honor of the

miracle is named Holy Cross Church. The Pontiff Nerses also writes the

marvelous church hymn “By means of the most powerful sign”, which is sung in

the churches on the day of the feast.

The sacred relic remains at the Mountain Varague till 1021 A. D. Later the

Armenian King Senekerim Artsrouni brings the relic to Sebastia. After the latter’s

death the relic is again transferred to its old place and remains there until 1651

A. D. when the relic is taken to Khoshab. In 1655 A. D. the relic is placed in the

Church of Holy Godmother, in Van, which is renamed to Church of Holy Sign.

The relic was preserved there till 1915 A. D.

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October 08

Feast of the Holy Translators

Sts. Mesrob, Yeghishe, Moses of Khoronk, philosopher David

Anhaght, Gregory of Narek and Nerses the Gracious (Nerses of Kla)

For the Armenian people the Feast of the

Holy Translators is one of the most favorite

and beloved national-ecclesiastical feasts.

Nearly two hundred disciples of St. Mesrob

Mashtots and St. Sahak are known by the

general group name “Holy Translators”. The

disciples of the above mentioned group of

Holy Translators are known as “Junior

Translators”. Celebrating this feast, the

Armenian Apostolic Church pays tribute of

respect to the bright memory of St. Mesrob

Mashtots, Yeghishe, Moses of Khoronk,

philosoppher Davit Anhaght, whose sacred work and mission later has been

continued on by St. Gregory of Narek and St. Nerses the Gracious. The word

“Translator” means "Interpreter”. Comprehending and precisely understanding the

demands of that period, the Holy Translators initiated the sacred work of creating

the Armenian alphabet and literature. By the strength of their faith they dispersed

the darkness and warmed the human souls. Thanks to the Holy Translators the

Holy Bible was translated into Armenian and the Armenian peoples obtained the

possibility to read the Holy Book in the native language. By means of their activity

the Holy Translators contributed to the spiritual-cultural awakening of Armenia.

After the translation of the Holy Bible, many books of Church Father were

translated into Armenian, and thanks to this fact many translations, the original

copies of which haven’t been preserved, presently exist only in the translated

variant and thus the translations have obtained the value of the original.

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PRAYER

Guide us, O lord our God, and teach us to walk in thy paths of

righteousness.

Keep our lives in peace, and our ways pleasing in thy sight.

Guide thy servants on their earthly and heavenly course

along thy paths of purity unto thine eternal life

through the grace of thine only begotten Son, our Lord and

Saviour Jesus Christ,

who became our prince of life and the hope of our salvation,

with whom thou art blessed,

O Father Almighty,

together with thy lifegiving and liberating Holy Spirit,

now and forever, world without end.

Amen. -

WELCOME TO ST. VARTAN ARMENIAN CHURCH

If you are a newcomer to St. Vartan, it is a pleasure to welcome you to our

Divine Liturgy this afternoon. Thank you for making time in your busy

schedule to be with us. We believe that you will feel God’s Spirit and his

renewing love among us as we worship together.

St. Vartan Armenian Apostolic Church of Mississauga, Canada

P.O.Box 53010, 5100 Erin Mills Pkwy, Mississauga L5M 5A7

www.stvartan.ca

The Parish Council needs your help to keep its mailing list up-to-date.

Sign up to receive church news by email.

St. Vartan Parish Priest: Rev. Fr. Myron Sarkissian (647) 970 77 99

hovhansar@hotmail.com

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Are You On Our Mailing List?

The Parish Council needs your help to keep its mailing list up-to-date.

Sign up to receive church news by email.

St. Vartan Parish Priest: Rev. Fr. Myron Sarkissian (647) 970 77 99

hovhansar@hotmail.com

Prepared by: Rev. Fr. Myron Sarkissian, hovhansar@hotmail.com

www.dermyron.com