Rev. Fr. Hovel Ohanyan November 2015 Teach Me to Forgive

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1 The Voice Newsletter is published once a month by St. Vartan Armenian Church 650 Spruce Street, Oakland, CA , Phone (510) , Fax: (510) stvartanoakland@aol.com Website: The deadline for all articles is the fifteenth of each month. Archbishop Hovnan Derderian, Primate Rev. Fr. Hovel Ohanyan, Parish Priest and President of All Church Organizations Parish Council Chair: Barry Toomajian Parish Assembly Chair: Harry Sherinian Choir Director: Artin Der Minassians Organist: Ida Mazmanian, A. Rodriguez ACYO Chair: Sevan Jindoian and Tanya Jindoian Sunday School Superintendent: Janet Yeghissian Ladies Society Chair: Gail Kezerian and Caroline Arakelian Cultural Society Chair: Liz Ojakian Hokejosh: Nora Hanoian Church Maintenance: Jim Taylor and Arto Yagjian Newsletter Editors: Arlene Hovsepian and Rachel Harger Wedding Coordinator: Gail Kezerian and Stacey Shartzer Church Secretary: Rachel Harger Altar Flowers: Carole Chang Church Custodian: Wartkes Hagopian Divine Liturgy Service Sundays 10:30 a.m. Bible Readings Nov. 1 Luke 8:17-21 Nov. 8 Luke 8:49-57 Nov. 15 Luke 9:44-50 Nov. 22 Luke 12:13-31 Nov. 29 Luke 13:1-9 Psalm 100:4 Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name. Rev. Fr. Hovel Ohanyan November 2015 Teach Me to Forgive For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins. (Matt. 6:14-15) One day a while back, a man, his heart heavy with grief, was walking in the woods. As he thought about his life this day, he knew many things were not right. He thought about those who had lied about him back when he had a job. His thoughts turned to those who had stolen his things and cheated him. He remembered family that had passed on. His mind turned to the illness he had that no one could cure. His very soul was filled with anger, resentment and frustration. Standing there this day, searching for answers he could not find, knowing all else had failed him, he knelt at the base of an old oak tree to seek the one he knew would always be there, and with tears in his eyes, he prayed: "Lord - You have done wonderful things for me in this life. You have told me to do many things for you, and I happily obeyed. Today, you have told me to forgive. I am sad, Lord, because I cannot. I don't know how. It is not fair Lord. I didn't deserve these wrongs that were done against me and I shouldn't have to forgive. As perfect as your way is Lord, this one thing I cannot do, for I don't know how to forgive. My anger is so deep Lord, I fear I may not hear you, but I pray that you teach me to do this one thing I cannot do teach me to forgive." As he knelt there in the quiet shade of that old oak tree, he felt something fall onto his shoulder. He opened his eyes. Out of the corner of one eye, he saw something red on his shirt. He could not turn to see what it was because where the oak tree had been was a large square piece of wood in the ground. He raised his head and saw two feet held to the wood with a large spike through them. He raised his head more, and tears came to his eyes as he saw Jesus hanging on a cross. He saw spikes in His hands, a gash in His side, a torn and battered body, deep thorns sunk into His head. Finally he saw the suffering and pain on His precious face. As their eyes met, the man's tears turned to sobbing, and Jesus began to speak. "Have you ever told a lie, He asked?" The man answered, "Yes, Lord." "Have you ever been given too much change and kept it?" The man answered, "Yes, Lord." And the man sobbed more and more. "Have you ever taken something from work that wasn't yours," Jesus asked?

2 And the man answered, "Yes, Lord." "Have you ever sworn, using my Father's name in vain?" The man, crying now, answered, "Yes, Lord." As Jesus asked many more times, "Have you ever"? The man's crying became uncontrollable, for he could only answer, "Yes, Lord." Then Jesus turned His head from one side to the other, and the man felt something fall on his other shoulder. He looked and saw that it was the blood of Jesus. When he looked back up, his eyes met those of Jesus, and there was a look of love the man had never seen or known before. Jesus said, "I didn't deserve this either, but I forgive you." It may be hard to see how you're going to get through something. But, when you look back in life, you realize how true this statement is... "If God brings you to it... He will bring you through it." Author Unknown Upcoming Event November 11 Veterans Day November 11 Parish Council Meeting 6:30 pm November 12 Ladies Society Luncheon 12:00 noon November 26 Thanksgiving November ACYO Convention November 28 Convention by the Bay Gala 7:00 pm December 12 Family Night 5:30 pm Ladies Society Fall Luncheon Think About It A good time to keep your mouth shut is when you re in deep water. No one ever says, It s only a game, when their team is winning. There are worse things than getting a call for a wrong number at 4 am. It could be the right number. Fall Back On Sunday, November 1, 2015 Daylight Savings Time ends. Don t forget to set your clock back one hour. News From Our St. Vartan Family Wedding Paul Albert Kesinger and Tseday Akliku were joined in Holy Matrimony at St. Vartan Church by Rev. Fr. Asoghig Jamgotchian on September 26, Steven Kesinger served as best man. Paul s parents are Thomas and Ellyn Kessinger. Aklilu Melaku Retta and Zuriash-Work Zewde are Tseday s parents. The maid of honor was Addis Alem Aklilu. Baptism Fr. Hovel baptized Erik Matthew Bahneman at St. Vartan Church on October 11, Erik s parents are Joseph and Lynn Bahneman. His godfather is Sevak Jamkochian. On October 17, 2015 Alexandra Merrin Sparr was baptized at St. Vartan Church by Fr. Hovel. Alexandra is the daughter of Brian and Nicole Sparr. Her grandparents are Mary and Gary Sparr and Sylvia and Richard Messian. Martin Gil served as Alexandra s godfather. Thursday, November 12 at noon Delicious Meal Free raffle ticket for prizes for everyone Thanksgiving Craft Everyone is invited $10 meal ticket My Dear Faithful, Our 63rd Annual Bazaar, Armenian Food Festival is over. Once again I would like to bring the appreciation and the gratitude of my heart to the members of the Bazaar Committee, chaired by Zaven Kanneian and Harout Hagopian, all the members of our Ladies Society, Parish Council, Cultural Committee, ACYO, Sunday School, countless individual volunteers, elders and youth for their humble and priceless service to God and to the blessed family of our St. Vartan Armenian Apostolic Church. Your great and hard work is the best evidence of your strong faith and your unlimited love to your Church and Community. Through your humble service you are making the future of this Church and community stronger and more active. May the blessings of our Lord Jesus Christ be with all of you forever!!! Prayerfully, Fr. Hovel Ohanyan Holiday Food Drive As in previous years, St. Vartan Church is sponsoring a food drive for the Alameda County Community Food Bank. The Holiday Food Drive will take place during the months of November and December The food bank combats hunger locally, serving 1 in 6 county residents. Please bring your non-perishable, healthy food donation to church and place it in the red bin located in the Church Hall entryway. Let s turn our gratitude for the blessings God has given us toward providing for those less fortunate.

3 St. Vartan Church Parish Council gratefully acknowledges the following donations: Bazaar Donations Bazaar Grandma s Attic Support Edward Hagopian Bazaar Containers Diana Toomajian Leg of Lamb Judith Peterson, Al and Becky Adams, Dickie and Seno Garabedian General Bazaar Donation Leon Yengoyan, Siranouche Apelian, Jack and Barbara Bousian Beer Charles and Dorris Kezerian, Jack and Barbara Bousian In Honor and Celebration of Suzanne Abnous birthday Nora and Harvey Hanoian (Voice Newsletter), Pete and Pat Barsamian (Building Fund) In Memory Armine Ozan Alice Gregorian (Orphan Fund) Kacheg Topalian Don and Lisa Manoogian, Harry and Carol Dokouzian (The Voice Newsletter) ENDOWMENT FUND In Memory Kacheg Topalian Marlene Tolegian VARTZKERNEET GADAR Hye Café would like to thank and express its gratitude to our dedicated volunteers, who worked diligently during the preparation of the food, serving and, cashiering. With their tremendous help, we had another successful year! Big Thank You to: Elo Markarian, Sara Matossian, Elizabeth and Hagop Tatoian, Maral Kismetian, Seta and Nazaret Jindoian, Larry Radcliff, Araxi Boghossian, Sue Barsamian, Nora and Harvey Hanoian, Janet Kanneian, Hilda Mener, Steve Donikian, Sylvia Gozurian, Ara Kaprielian, Silva Jindoian, Tanya Jindoian and Nairy and David Collelo. We also would like to extend our special thanks to Sara Matossian for her generous donation of 200 homemade potato kufta and set of Armenian coffee pots. Their love and service to our Church and Bazaar is very much appreciated! Sincerely, Cingoz families A big thank you to all the dedicated volunteers for another successful Bazaar! On behalf of Der Hovel and the Parish Council, Zaven Kanneian and I want to express our most sincere gratitude to all our volunteers for their hard work to make the St. Vartan Bazaar a success. We would like to name each of you individually but unfortunately, we would monopolize the entire newsletter. So instead, we will thank each sub-committee: Money Counting Admission Booth Food Preparation Food Line & Servers Khanoot & Take Out Hye Café Dessert Booth Cafe and Bar Cashiers Public Relations & Advertising Raffle Bazaar Book & Layout Graphic Artwork Bar-B-Que Carnival Games Prize Booth Table Bussing Entertainment Lighting and Decorations Grandma s Attic Set Up & Tear Down Event Cleaning and Maintenance Program Most importantly, we want to share how proud we are to be part of a community that supports one another and works together with great humility to care for this annual tradition which has become a part of our culture. It was a hectic weekend and all of the volunteers worked very hard to support each other, treat all of our guests well, and also find time to have fun with friends and family. Good job, everyone! Harout Hagopian and Zaven Kanneian

4 St. Vartan Annual Food Festival & Bazaar October 2 & 3, Bazaar Raffle Winners $5,000 Charity Raffle Apple ipad Air 49 ers vs. Seattle tickets Wine Basket Pixar Swag Bag Pixar Swag Bag Lake Merritt Experience The Estuary Experience Goin Downtown Oakland $100 Gift Certificate Calavera Mexican Kitchen $100 Gift Certificate District Bar & Restaurant $100 Gift Certificate Bourbon & Beef Restaurant Paul Ohanesian, Walnut Creek David Modersbach, Oakland Gareen Avakian, Oakland Gloria Kasparian, Sacramento Joseph Bezdjian, San Mateo Lucine Kroeckel, Hayward Lucine Kroeckel, Hayward Dickran Tashjian, Berkeley Jessica Schafer, Alameda Talia Brady, Oakland Seth Hamalian, Lafayette Susan Moxley, Walnut Creek

5 DECEMBER 12, 2015

6 Blessing of the Holy Muron His Holiness Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians blessed the Third Muron of the 21st Century in the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin on September 27, the Feast of the Holy Cross of Varak and called it The Muron of Victory. From the time of the first Catholicos of All Armenians, St. Gregory the Illuminator, the right to bless the Holy Chrism (or Muron) has been reserved solely for the consecrated head of the Church, the Catholicos of All Armenians. From the sacred bema of the holy site of the Descent of the Only Begotten, the Armenian Pontiff appeals for the actions of God on the Chrism which is being blessed, so that the Holy Spirit will bring to life the sweet scented oil, and transform it to the fountain from where the graces are granted from God. And beneath the joyful ringing of bells symbolizing the descent of the Holy Spirit, the old Chrism is combined with the new, as is the tradition of the continuous apostolic chain and foundation of our Church. The Holy Chrism has been established by God. When God spoke to Moses on Mt. Sinai, he said: "Take the finest spices: of liquid myrrh, five hundred shekels, and of sweet -smelling cinnamon, half as much, that is, two hundred and fifty, and of aromatic cane, two hundred and fifty, and of cassia, five hundred, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, and of olive oil, a hin; and you shall make of these a sacred anointing oil blended as by the perfumer; a holy anointing oil it shall be. And you shall anoint with it the tent of meeting and the ark of the testimony, and the table and all its utensils, and the lampstand and its utensils, and the altar of incense, and the altar of burnt offering with all its utensils and the laver and its base; you shall consecrate them, that they may be most holy; whatever touches them will become holy. And you shall anoint Aaron and his sons, and consecrate them, that they may serve me as priests. And you shall say to the people of Israel, 'This shall be my holy anointing oil throughout your generations. It shall not be poured upon the bodies of ordinary men, and you shall make no other like it in composition; it is holy, and it shall be holy to you." (Exodus 30:22-33) The ingredients for the Holy Chrism symbolize the perfection of virtues whose fullness and sacramental unity is our Lord Jesus Christ. The main element which makes up the foundation of the Holy Chrism is pure, virgin olive oil, to which are combined balsam, and 40 kinds of fragrant incense, flowers, sweet aromatic plants, roots and floral extracts, as well as different oil and leaf extracts. The ingredients for the Holy Chrism each have their designated and precise quantities and measurements. The majority of which are brought to Armenia from countries in the East. The chosen amounts are crushed, ground and mixed with the olive oil, white wine, rose water, and other floral essences by the members of the Brotherhood of Holy Etchmiadzin, with their offerings of prayer and incense. Before it is cooked, the Catholicos of All Armenians blesses all of the ingredients for the Holy Chrism. So as to protect the sweet scents of the combined ingredients, the lid of the cauldron is sealed with uncooked dough, and the entire assemblage is boiled in water in yet another larger cauldron. With prayers and hymns, the cauldron containing the mixture is heated and steamed for three days and nights. This is all conducted in an atmosphere of prayerful, humble and reverent participation of the Brotherhood of Holy Etchmiadzin. Forty days prior to the blessing of the Holy Chrism, the covered cauldron is placed on the Main Altar of the Mother Cathedral, so it can receive the prayers, psalms and hymns of everyday life. Upon the day of the blessing, the Bishops of the Church elevate to the Altar the Armenian Church s traditional holy relics: the Geghart - the lance that pierced the side of Christ, the relic from the life giving Cross of Christ, and the Holy Right hand of St. Gregory the Illuminator, with which the newly blessed Chrism is sanctified, and with which the gathered faithful masses are blessed. Hymns dedicated to the blessing of the Holy Chrism are sung. The ranks of Bishops next read from the Holy Bible, the daily readings, and lections dedicated to God: "Our Lord and our God - Hear the pleas of your servants and send your mercy to the fruit of the olive tree, which you gave for our benefit and the salvation of your people. And grant that within us dwells the graces of your Holy and beneficent Spirit, for the workings and fullness of your holy sacraments and rituals, which we are conducting for your Glory. O God who loves mankind, send your Holy Spirit to your earthly Holy See and to this oil which is before us, so it may be sanctified and used in Your name, and the name of Your Only Begotten Son." Upon completion of the readings, the caldron is unsealed, and the Catholicos of All Armenians adds the Holy Chrism from the previous ceremony; old adding to the new, continuing the unbroken chain of Holy Chrism from the time of St. Gregory the Illuminator. The mixture is then blessed and stirred with the traditional holy relics, with prayers, blessings and hymns sung with each one in succession. Upon completion of the ceremony the faithful come forward to kiss and to touch the cauldron with cloth. The grace bestowing sweet-scented oil is received by all the dioceses and churches from the Pontificate of All Armenians. From ancient times, this has served to preserve the authority of the Catholicosate of All Armenians, as an exceptional covenant with the Armenian faithful. The Holy Chrism is used during the Sacrament of Baptism and Chrismation, Ordination of Clergy, Consecration of Bishops, Final Rites of Clergyman, Blessing of the Water Service, and Consecration of new Churches. Christmas Greetings You can send a Christmas Greeting in the December issue of the Voice Newsletter to all your family and friends at St. Vartan Church. the church office at stvartanoakland@aol.com or call before November 15, 2014 to place your greeting. This is a great opportunity to send Christmas well-wishes to all of your friends at St. Vartan Church, while supporting the Voice Newsletter. Suggested donation for Christmas Greeting is $25. Bazaar Directories Available Pledged Members can pick up their 2015 Bazaar directory in the church entryway. Non-pledged members can call the church to request a directory. The suggested donation for non-pledged members is $5. St. Vartan Voice On-Line You can receive your St. Vartan Voice Newsletter via , rather than snail mail. If you would like to be on our ing list for the newsletter, please contact the church office at stvartanoakland@aol.com or call Contact Information Please keep St. Vartan Armenian Church updated with your correct address and phone number. Send any new information to stvartanoakland@aol.com or call the church office at