SEPTEMBER 8, BAREKENDAN OF THE FAST OF EXALTATION ՍԵՊՏԵՄԲԵՐ 8, ԲԱՐԵԿԵՆԴԱՆ ԽԱՉՎԵՐԱՑԻ ՊԱՀՔԻՆ

FR. MESROB HOVSEPYAN, PASTOR MORNING SERVICE:

DIVINE LITURGY:

YEAR OF THE FAMILY 2019

9:45 A.M.

10:15 A.M.

PC MEMBERS ON DUTY:

Fram Cehreci Nectar Munro Greg Sahagian

2 Corinthians 7:4-16

Mark 7:31-37

TODAY’S SCRIPTURE READINGS:

Our address:

Office hours:

Contact us:

1131 North Street, White Plains, NY 10605, www.stgregorywp.com

Tuesday-Friday 9a.m.-3p.m., Mondays closed.

Office: (914) 428-2595, saintgregorychurchwp@gmail.com Fr. Mesrob: (804) 405-9399, fr.mesrob@yahoo.com

WELCOME TO

ST. GREGORY THE ENLIGHTENER

ARMENIAN CHURCH êàôð´ ¶ðƶàð Èàôê²ôàðÆâ

Today there will be no Requiem Service after Badarak.

BIRTH OF ST. MARY FROM ANNA The birth of the Holy Mother of God in not described in the Holy Bible. We learn about from the Holy Tradition of the Church. Parents of the Holy Virgin, Jehoiakim and Anna did not have children for many years. Once, when Anna goes to the garden to pray, suddenly God’s Angel appears to her and tells her that she will have a baby. Anna thanks God for hear-ing her prayers and promises to present her baby to God. Je-hoiakim also has the same vision. He also renders glory to God for deserving him that grace and offers sacrifice. Anna gives birth to a girl, who is named Mary, which means “Illuminated”. It was she whom God granted the grace to be the Mother of God. As mother she worried, suffered for her Son, but never opposed to God very well understanding the importance of the mission entrusted to her by God.

Ս. ԿՈՒՅՍ ՄԱՐԻԱՄԻ ԾՆՈՒՆԴՆ ԱՆՆԱՅԻՑ Ս. Աստվածածնի ծնունդը նկարագրված չէ Աստվածաշունչ մատյանում, այն մեզ փոխանցվել է Եկեղեցու Սրբազան ավանդությամբ: Կույսի ծնողները` Հովակիմն ու Աննան երկար ժամանակ երեխա չէին ունենում, քանի որ վերջինս ամուլ էր: Եվ մի օր, երբ Աննան իջնում է պարտեզ աղոթելու, հանկարծ հայտնվում է Տիրոջ հրեշտակը և ավետում, որ զավակ է ունենալու, ում երանի են տալու բոլոր ազգերը: Աննան գոհություն է հայտնում Աստծուն, որ լսեց իր անդադրում աղոթքների ձայնն ու խղճաց իրեն: Նա խոստանում է իր զավակին Աստծուն նվիրել: Նույն այս տեսիլքը երևում է նաև Հովակիմին` հայտնելով բարի լուրը: Ս. Կույսի հայրը նույնպես փառք է տալիս Բարձրյալին այդ մեծ շնորհին արժանանալու համար և իր ընտիր արջառներից ու ոչխարներից մատաղ է անում` բաժանելով աղքատներին: Աննան հղիանում է, ունենում մի աղջիկ, որին անվանում են Մարիամ, այսինքն` լուսավորյալ: Նա էր այն ընտրյալը երկրի վրա, ում Աստված իր առաքինությունների ու արժանիքների շնորհիվ պատվեց լինելու Աստծու մայրը: Նա տառապեց իր Որդու համար, սակայն երբեք չերկնչեց ու չընդդիմացավ Աստծուն` քաջ գիտակցելով Բարձրյալից իրեն վստահված առաքելության կարևորությունը: Նա առաքինի, հավատավոր մոր, ընտանեկան սրբության պահապանի մարմնացումն է: Հայ Եկեղեցին Աստվածամոր ծննդյան տոնը հաստատուն կերպով տոնում է սեպտեմբերի 8-ին:

TODAY’S SCRIPTURE READINGS The first reading is from Second Letter of Paul to Corinthi-ans 7:4-16 I often boast about you; I have great pride in you; I am filled with consolation; I am overjoyed in all our affliction. For even when we came into Macedonia, our bodies had no rest, but we were afflicted in every way—disputes without and fears within. But God, who con-soles the downcast, consoled us by the arrival of Titus, and not only by his coming, but also by the consolation with which he was con-soled about you, as he told us of your longing, your mourning, your zeal for me, so that I rejoiced still more. For even if I made you sor-ry with my letter, I do not regret it (though I did regret it, for I see that I grieved you with that letter, though only briefly). Now I re-joice, not because you were grieved, but because your grief led to repentance; for you felt a godly grief, so that you were not harmed in any way by us. For godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation and brings no regret, but worldly grief produces death. For see what earnestness this godly grief has produced in you, what eagerness to clear yourselves, what indignation, what alarm, what longing, what zeal, what punishment! At every point you have proved yourselves guiltless in the matter. So although I wrote to you, it was not on account of the one who did the wrong, nor on account of the one who was wronged, but in order that your zeal for us might be made known to you before God. In this we find comfort. The second reading is from the Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Mark 7:31-37 Then Jesus left the vicinity of Tyre and went through Sidon, down to the Sea of Galilee and into the region of the Decapolis. There some people brought to him a man who was deaf and could hardly talk, and they begged Jesus to place his hand on him. After he took him aside, away from the crowd, Jesus put his fingers into the man’s ears. Then he spit and touched the man’s tongue. He looked up to heaven and with a deep sigh said to him, “Ephphatha!” (which means “Be opened!”). At this, the man’s ears were opened, his tongue was loosened and he began to speak plainly. Jesus commanded them not to tell anyone. But the more he did so, the more they kept talking about it. People were overwhelmed with amazement. “He has done everything well,” they said. “He even makes the deaf hear and the mute speak.”

Honor your loved ones by donating

an engraved leaf on the St. Gregory TREE OF LOVE

Children, Grandchildren, Parents, Grandparents, Aunts & Uncles …

Each brass leaf will be custom engraved to honor your loved one(s).

No limit on how many you can purchase! This is a wonderful way to honor a special occasion, milestone event, marriage, new baby, “in tribute to”, “in memory of”, etc.

Each leaf is 2”x 3” and can be engraved with 20 characters on each of four lines. The cost per leaf is $500.

(payable to: St. Gregory the Enlightener Armenian Church) For each leaf sold the Parish Council will donate $10 to the

ACYOA Juniors.

Note of Appreciation We would like to express our gratitude to Irene Shadoian for covering all the expenses needed for the landscaping and maintenance of the circle at the front entrance of our church. We greatly appreciate her generous contributions throughout the recent years, which helped us keep the circle in a beautiful shape.

Pastoral Care, Home and Hospital Visits Der Mesrob is always available and would like to visit home-bound and hospitalized parishioners. If you or someone you know is ill, Hospitalized or homebound and would like to be visited, please call Der Mesrob directly at (804)-405-9399 to schedule the visit. Please note: when asked about your religion at a hospital, patients should list themselves as “Armenian Orthodox” or “Armenian” not “other”.

Your

Membership

Matters

“The body does not consist of one mem-

ber but of many” (1 Corn. 12:14)

PRAYER REQUESTS Today, please take a moment to remember in

your prayers

Arshaluys Kaleli, Girair Poladian, Gloria Ohanian, Diane Davidian, Ann Devejian,

Armen Mirakian as well as all the sick and recovering members

of our community. May God touch His faithful servants with His healing hand, and grant them good health & recovery. Please inform Der Hayr if you have friends or family who are suffering any physical or spiritual distress and are in need of prayer, and he will add them to his prayer list where they will be remembered before “the Holy and Immortal Lamb of God” during the Eucharist. We all need prayer – both to say for others and to be said for us.

ACOLYTE TRAINING All boys (ages 8 and over) and girls

(ages 8-12) who are interested in becom-ing altar servers are encouraged to at-tend the Acolyte Training Program that

Fr. Mesrob will start. We will resume the bi-weekly trainings on September 29.

The Acolyte’s Training Program is tailored for young boys/girls who would like to learn to participate in the liturgical services of the Armenian Church as altar servers. We will

train them to serve as acolytes on Sundays and prepare for future ordination as acolytes (tubeers) and later as deacons.

Knowledge of Armenian is not a prerequisite to join the program.

For more information or sing up your child(ren) please talk to Der Mesrob.

BIBLE STUDY Der Mesrob is planning to begin Bible Study and Spiri-tual discussions on the Gospel of Matthew. There will

be two groups: morning group on Wednesdays at 11:00am and evening group on Thursdays at 7:00pm and

will meet bi-weekly. Schedule:

Please contact Der Mesrob if you would like to be part of the Bible Study group.

Come to explore together the pathways of the New

Testament and to increase our faith and spiritual fulfillment through study of the Holy Scriptures.

Wednesday - 11:00-12:00pm September 25 October 9 October 23 November 6 November 20 December 4 December 18

Thursday - 7:00-8:00pm October 3 October 17 October 31 November 14 November 21 December 12

CALENDAR OF UPCOMING EVENTS

TODAY Divine Liturgy.

SEPTEMBER 14, SATURDAY

First day of the Armenian School Welcome back and Registration

SEPTEMBER 15, SUNDAY

FEAST OF THE Exaltation of the Holy Cross

Blessing of the four corners of the world with a cross adorned with basil.

First Day of the Sunday School Welcome back and Registration

SEPTEMBER 22, SUNDAY

SAVE THE DATE: Annual Family Picnic

SEPTEMBER 27, FRIDAY

Round Table Dinner and Discussion - 6:30 pm The flyer can be found in the narthex.

OCTOBER 6, SUNDAY

Cultural Committee we will host filmmaker Leah Bedrosian Peterson after Badarak. Flyer can be found in the narthex.

OCTOBER 20, SUNDAY

The Sunday School Graduating class of 2020 will host the Department of Ministries of the

Diocese and present “Bread & Salt” videos. More information to follow.

OCTOBER 26, SATURDAY

St. Gregory Men’s Club Family KEF Night - adult & children costume party. Details to follow.

NOVEMBER 3, SUNDAY

Save the date: St. Gregory Award Banquet following Badarak. Details to follow.

NOVEMBER 14 & 24

SUNDAYS

Art Show and Fundraiser 11 am - 2 pm Sponsored by the Cultural Committee Details to follow.