REMEMBERANCE OF PROPHET ELIJAH
SYNAXIS READINGS
III Kings 18:29-46
VI Kings 2:1-15
James 5:16-20
Luke 4:25-30
MORNING SERVICE at 9:30 am
DIVINE LITURGY at 10:30 am
Celebrated by REV. FR. HAYARI TANASHIAN
Pastor’s Assistant
Choirmaster: Mr. Shahe Altounian
Organist: Mrs. Sona Artinian
JAMES 5:16-20
Therefore, confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.
Elijah was a human being, even as we are. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years. Again he prayed, and the heavens gave rain, and the earth produced its crops.
My brothers and sisters, if one of you should wander from the truth and someone should bring that person back, remember this: Whoever turns a sinner from the error of their way will save them from death and cover over a multitude of sins.
LUKE 4:25-30
I assure you that there were many widows in Israel in Elijah’s time, when the sky was shut for three and a half years and there was a severe famine throughout the land. Yet Elijah was not sent to any of them, but to a widow in Zarephath in the region of Sidon. And there were many in Israel with leprosy g in the time of Elisha the prophet, yet not one of them was cleansed only Naaman the Syrian.”
All the people in the synagogue were furious when they heard this. They got up, drove him out of the town, and took him to the brow of the hill on which the town was built, in order to throw him off the cliff. But he walked right through the crowd and went on his way.
“Seetoitthatnoonetakesyoucaptivethroughhollowanddeceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the elemental spiritual forces of this world rather thanon Christ.” (Col.2:8)
Եղիա Մարգարէն
առանձնայատուկ
Հայաստանեայց ե-
կեղեցւոյ սուրբերու
դասին մէջ եւ անոր
յիշատակութիւնը
կը տօնուի Հոգեգա-
լստեան Կիրակիին
յաջորդող Կիրակի
օրը:
Մարգարէ կը նը-
շանակէ կանխա-
սաց, կանխագու-
շակ: Աստուածա-
շունչի մէջ Մարգա-
րէները ապագան
տեսնելու աստուածատուր շնորհով
օժտուած անձեր
էին: Անոնք
բացառիկ
REMEMBERANCE OF PROPHET ELIJAH
This Sunday, the Armenian church celebrates the Remembrance of Prophet Elijah. Elijah is one of the major prophets of the Old Testament and has a significant place amongst the rank of saints in Armenian and Eastern churches, hence he is commemorated on the Sunday following the Pentecost.
Prophet Elijah lived in the 9th Century BC during the rule of King Ahab and his wife Queen Jezabel. After Israelite King Ahab married the princess Jezabel, he turned away from the True and Only God and started worshiping idols was spreading idolatry among his people. Elijah warned King Ahab about his doings against God by prophesying about three years of drought.Then God commanded Elijah to go away and stay in Kerith Ravine, where he was fed by ravens and drank from the brook until it dried out.
Elijah appeared before Ahab three years later and prayed to Almighty to send down fire for his sacrifice and heavy rain to end the three year long drought.It is also told, that thanks to the divine grace, Prophet Elijah helped thewidow inZarephathmaking so thatherbowlwouldn’t run outof flourandherjarwouldn’trunof oil,also restored thewidow’s dead son to life.
Elijah did not die, but by the Grace of God was taken to heaven (2 Kings 2:11). In the New Testament he appears with Moses at the Transfiguration of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Ամէնտարի`Հոգեգալստեան
կոյսերու յիշատակի տօնը: Հայ Առաքելական
սբ.
աւանդաբանութեան համա-
ձայն Հռիփսիմեան եւ Գայիան-
եանկոյսերը հռոմէացիկոյսեր
մայրապետի գլխաւորութ-
եամբ: Փախչելով Դիոկղետիա
SAINTS HRIPSIME AND GAYANE AND THEIR COMPANIONS
On Monday and Tuesday before the Feast of St. Gregory the Illuminator's Deliverance from the Pit, the Armenian Apostolic Church commemorates the virgin saints Hripsime and Gayane and their companions. According to Armenian church traditions St. Hripsime was a Roman nun of noble birth and belonged to a convent of St. Paul in Rome led by Abbes Gayane. They left Rome and found refuge in Armenia hoping to escape the Roman Emperor Diocletian, who vowed to marry one of the nuns, the beautiful Hripsime. Upon their arrival to Armenia, the nuns settled outside the walls of capital city of Armenia at that time Valarshabad, in an abandoned winepress. Being notified about Hripsime by Emperor Diocletian, King Tirdates III also became captivated by her beauty and sought to wed her. But Hripsime refused his advances. Enraged, the king had Hripsime and the other nuns imprisoned and tortured them to death in the year 301, just days before the Deliverance of St. Gregory from the pit. St. Hripsime and her 32 companions were martyred in the north-east of Vagharshabad, Abbes Gayane and two other nuns in the southern side and one of the nuns,
that was sick and stayed behind was martyred in the wine-press. This story is passed to us by the 4-5 century historian Agathangelos.
ST HRIPSIME CHURCH
MONASTERIES OF VIRGIN SIANTS
When St. Gregory the Illuminator was released from his 13 year long imprisonment in Khor Virab in 301, he collected and buried the scattered remains of holy nuns. He also built wooden chapels over their relics:
• the first one was built on the tomb of St. Hripsime,
• the second on that of St. Gayane
• the third chapel was built on the tomb of the Virgin who was martyred in the wine-press, were the nuns were living.
The church dedicated to Saint Hripsime, was built by Catholicos Gomidas in 615618, and it is considered to be an architectural masterpiece. Catholicos Gomidas also wrote the hymn 'Antsink Nviryalk' (Dedicated Beings) in their memory.
ST. GAYANE CHURCH
By the direction of Catholicos Ezr, in the year 632 the church of St. Gayane was erected. Today a small group of Armenian nuns live in the monastery of St. Gayane and the order is called, "The Women’s Monastery of the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin."
The Shoghakat monastery was rebuilt in 1694 with the support of Catholicos Nahabed I Edessatsi and generous contribution of noble Aghamal Shorotetsi.
All three churches are located in the city of Etchmiadzin, Armenia, not far from the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin and they are listed in the UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
CHURCH
DID YOU KNOW?...
A- On thier way to the land of Ararat some of the Hripsimian nuns stayed in Edessa. One of them went to the Daranagheayts province of Uper Hayk and started living a life of solitary prayer in one of the caves on mount Sebuh. The cave was named ‘Mane’s Cave'. Later. St. Gregory the Illuminator withdrew and lived in Mane's the remaining of his days.
B- Historian Agatangeghos did not mention the name of the Virgin who was martyred in the winepress, but it is believed to be Marianeհ. In this same wine-press St. Gregory the Illuminator had his vision, where the rays of the Lord’s light “dropped” from heavens. That is why Marianeհ’s shrine was named St. Shoghakat.
C- On the feast days of both St. Hripsime & her Companions ( this year June 12) and St. Gayane (this year June 13), the Divine Liturgy is celebrated in churches bearing their names . In the city of Echmiadzin, the saints' relicts are brought to St. Hripsime & St. Gayane churches
from the treasury museum of Mother See of Holy Echmiadzin. Here the faithful pilgrims get the opportunity to receive the blessings radiating from the holy relics and ask for Saints' intercession. Both feasts have a special evening service, that is celebrated on the eve of each feast, where the hymns dedicated to virgin saints are sung.
CELEBRATED NAMES
For the remembrance day of the prophet Elijah, the following names are celebrated: YEGHIA, ELIA & ELIE
For the remembrance days of St. Hripsime and St. Gayane the following names are celebrated:
HRIPSIME, GAYANE, RIMA, HRIPSIG, HOROP, HOROM & HOURI
