Today is the Third Sunday of Advent. The Armenian Apostolic Church celebrates Advent. The word Advent means “coming”—the coming of Christ. It is the 50-day period during which we prepare to celebrate the Nativity and Theophany of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. In the Armenian Church, Advent lasts approximately two weeks longer than it in the Western churches, hence the Armenian word for the season: Hisnag, “a 50-day period.” It is a time for us to think of the why of Christmas—why the greeting cards, the decorations, the gifts, the family gatherings? A time to look within our hearts to see if there is anything that stands between us and the Good News of Jesus’ birth.
During Advent, we can rededicate ourselves to Christ through our actions, thoughts, and prayers. This is a good time for us to improve our habits and offer them as gifts to God. Perhaps Advent can also be an occasion to discover God’s gifts all around us. We need to have an open heart to receive Christ—God’s greatest gift of all! We complain that Christmas is too “commercial,” but there is a way to live out the real “reason for the season.”
[Information made available via www.armenianchurch.us]
Bible Readings:
Ezekiel 3:16-19
2 Timothy 3:10-15
John 10:11 - 16
__________
We thank you all for joining our live streams every Sunday! As we continue to spread the Good Word of the Gospel, we ask that you all keep our church's servants in your prayers. We are still navigating through a lot of changes, and just ask for your kind patience as we settle a lot of the technical issues that arise while streaming the Divine Liturgy.
If you have any questions about the Divine Liturgy, Sacramental Services, or anything else, please do not hesitate in reaching out to the Church's main office through the St. Sarkis website: [ Ссылка ]
Additionally, if you'd like to contribute to our church, we encourage to visit our website to make any donation from your heart:
[ Ссылка ]
Thank you all, once again, and we pray you have a blessed week!
Celebrant Priest: Very Rev. Fr. Pakrad Berjekian,
Pastor of St. Sarkis Armenian Apostolic Church of San Diego
