Lenten info from our church. Hello Everyone, We are now in our second week of Great Lent. This is a special time in the Armenian Church, and all are encouraged to participate in some way during this important period of our liturgical year. More information and ideas for participating are included below. Sunday, March 16 Sunday of the Prodigal Son. Jashou Service with Dn. Benjamin starting at 10:30am. Friday Vigils As part of our Lenten program this year, we will be conducting hsgoom, or vigil services each Friday during Lent. Please join us this Friday evening at 6:00pm for this special prayer service. Summer Camps and St. Nersess Conferences As in prior years the Diocesan summer camps and St. Nersess Conferences will be held in the spring and summer of 2014. In prior years we had St. Sarkis kids participating various sessions at Camp Vartan NY. The Parish Council has some limited funds available to defray the costs of participant(s). Brochures are available in the foyer. You can contact Dn. Ben or go to the website for full details and registration. Մեծ Պահք- Great Lent Beginning Monday, March 3, we began the 40 day period of Great Lent, Medz Bahk in Armenian, which lasts until the Friday before Palm Sunday. This Lenten period is followed by Holy Week, which culminates in the greatest feast of the Church: Easter. Lent is a period of preparation for Easter, the celebration of our Lords resurrection. Forty days has a very symbolic meaning in scripture. We recall the story of Noah and the rains that flooded the earth for 40 days and nights, after which God made a covenant of peace with Noah and all creation. Also, the Israelites wandered the desert for 40 years before reaching the land God promised them. And Jesus himself, after His baptism, spent 40 days in the wilderness, praying and fasting in preparation for His Ministry. We see that the number 40 symbolizes a period of preparation, and the beginning of new life. We, as members of the Armenian Church, as in many other ancient churches, prepare ourselves spiritually to accept God into our hearts and lives and receive new life in Christ. We do this in traditional ways such as prayer, fasting, giving, reading the bible, attending church regularly, simplifying our lives, and making positive changes in our lives. The goal is to grow closer to God and our neighbors in love. All of us are encouraged to take this period of Lent to reflect on our lives, take steps to grow spiritually, and strengthen our relationships with God and each other. Lent comes alive in these ways... (Try making a list to follow or keep a Lenten jounal) Reading the Bible Ideas: - Follow the readings in the church calendar -Read the entire Gospel of Mark -Read all four Gospels (or try reading 10 minutes a day and see how far you get in 40 days) - Attend Bible study at the Church each week Prayer Ideas: - Try praying before and after meals - Pray when waking up or going to bed - Attend weekly prayer services at church - Read a prayer of St. Krikor Naregatsi daily - Pray for forgiveness and forgive others - Pray daily for someone sick or in need Fasting - Fasting is not simply refraining from certain foods, but also from refraining from anything that might distract us from focusing on God and all that is good. Just as diet, exercise, and focus is important for athlete training programs, it is important to do this to prepare spiritually. Ideas: - Avoid eating meat and animal products - Limit how often you eat out - Try eating on a budget of $134 per person - Limit or avoid eating _______ - Reduce time spent watching TV, on internet/facebook, etc., and replace by spending time with family, calling or writing to brighten someone elses day Giving/Charity - by simplifying and reducing how much we spend on ourselves, we can focus more on serving the needs of others. This can be of time, talent, and treasure. Ideas: - Donate or volunteer at local food bank - Give to St. Sarkis Church - Give to service programs in Armenia - Give to local charities -Visit nursing home, sick, or people alone
Posted on: Thu, 13 Mar 2014 14:55:55 +0000
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