Thanksgiving to God for ... "Holy Martyrs"

One of the earliest models of a Christian community, or parish, is preserved in the pages of the Bible, Acts 2:45-47. According to the Bible, the faithful came together on a regular basis to worship God, to learn more about the Christian faith, to hear the apostles or their disciples teach, to help each other, to take care of those who are in need of help and assistance, and to be together and enjoy each other’s fellowship.

For some, this biblical model of a parish may look improbable or impractical. The amount of time spent together and the level of commitment on behalf of the participants to prepare, coordinate and participate in such activities and programs may seem idealistic and as such, for some, makes the parish model unrealistic. However, as the saying goes, “when there is a will there is a way.” The faithful members and friends of Holy Martyrs, despite the parish’s location in the midst of the busiest city in the world, inspired by the biblical models have been doing their best, throughout the past almost half a century, to live that biblical experience. In fact a look at a typical week in the life of Holy Martyrs demonstrates that.

Last week, for example, we started with the celebration of the Badarak, praising God and participating in the Eucharist. Meanwhile, our kids were enjoying the blessings of our Sunday School ministry. Badarak was followed by the weekly fellowship hour, and two sacraments. Monday night the parish came together for an educational evening, to learn about Islam and its views of Christianity.  Our Junior Choir and Aradzani adult dance group also meet on Monday evenings.  On Tuesday morning, the seniors came together at the Kalustyan Hall for a day of fellowship and fun. The same day, two groups met at different times to read and discuss the Bible and the faith of the Armenian Church. Our newly-formed theatrical group also met on Tuesday evening in preparation for dramatic performances. Wednesday, members of our “Caring Hearts” group met to support and reach out to the members of the community who have suffered the loss of a loved one. Thursday, as in every week, is the day we visit the Armenian Home and enjoy an hour or so reading the Bible and discussing it with the residents. Friday began with our weekly morning service at 8:15 (attended by 30 people including some of our day school students and principal). This was followed by a Bible Study session, for those who could stay. Unlike every Friday when we come together for an evening of fellowship, fun and delicious food at our “Hye Café” and for the ACYOA Juniors meeting and the Hye Bar youth dance group rehearsals, this Friday was different. Parishioners and friends came together to launch the weekend-long Art Show: a beautiful event that brought in Armenian painters and artists from around the world into Kalustyan Hall to share and exhibit their beautiful talents. Saturday morning students gathered in the Church auditorium to start their language school day. In the evening the community came together to listen to an Armenian Engineer who spent 1001 days in the Iraqi military and offered his insights and glimpses of his experiences with us. This was followed by a reception hour courtesy of our Cultural Committee. Meanwhile, Monday through Friday, our kids attended our Day School. In the evenings, on the other hand, the executive committees of the various auxiliaries and schools met to plan and pursue their various programs and events within the parish.

So, I give thanks to God for all those who made and continue making Holy Martyrs a vibrant example of a Bible-based parish. As we approach the season of Thanksgiving please remember our parish, with its volunteers and those who work for planning and executing these programs, in your list of things to thank God for. And, by the way, if you consider yourself a parishioner or friend of Holy Martyrs and have not attended any of the above events in the previous week, please consider getting more involved. Your participation and support can add a lot to this beautiful and inspiring experience which we call “our Parish.” Thank you all.

With thanksgiving and love, 
In Christ’s Service
Fr. Vahan Hovhanessian

Reflections | Holy Martyrs | Home Page |