ASSUMPTION OF THE

BLESSED VIRGIN MARY August 17-18, 2002

Today’s feast, dedicated to the Mother-of-God, the Blessed Virgin Mary is one of the five Major Feast Days of the Armenian Church and has been celebrated by the Universal Church from very early times. It is a pious tradition of the Church that St. Mary, the Mother of Jesus Christ, is the first of God’s creatures to attain the full glory of redemption wrought by her Son.

The Blessed Virgin is both a symbol and a hope for all Christians. From her birth, Mary was blessed by God to fulfill His divine plan of salvation. In the Gospel of Luke (1:41-42) it states, “And when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, the babe leaped into her womb; and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy spirit and she exclaimed with a load cry: “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb!”

The Armenian Church doctrine teaches that the Blessed Mother Mary has a primary place of honor because it was ‘of’ her and ‘by’ the Holy Spirit that God became incarnate (took human flesh). She is seen as the image of humanity fully obedient to God and ultimately sanctified by doing God’s will.

Just as she submitted herself completely to the will of God and gave birth to Christ, so must we all submit ourselves to God and, not only bear the name of Christ, but also bear the reality of Christ within us and incarnate His presence in our lives. Just as the Virgin Mary is glorified and called blessed, so shall we be as sons and daughters of God.

The Armenian Church from the time of Nersess the Graceful, if not later, celebrates the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary on the closest Sunday to August 15 and extending the celebration of the feast not only for three days, as it was before, but for nine.

The tradition concerning the death of the Blesses Virgin Mary, which all the ancient churches accept, almost invariably, is the following: All the apostles except Bartholomew, who was absent at that time, with torch lit procession perform the funeral of the Virgin and bury her at the side of the Valley of Gethsemane. After her burial, for three days and three nights angelic songs were heard above her tomb. After a while, Bartholomew arrives and wishes to see the Virgin Mary for the last time. The apostles open the tomb and do not find the body.

We have no historical documentation about Mary’s death; no scriptural text mentions her end. Only the apocryphal gospels contain a detailed account of the Virgin’s death, placing it at Jerusalem. These accounts, very late in origin and full of legendary detail, should not trouble one, for the veneration of Mary is based not on folklore, but on Tradition, which is the complement of Scripture. Tradition is the living memory of the Church, a memory which is transmitted from generation to generation. Ever since the Apostles, we keep in our memory the certainty that Mary, like her Son, has passed through death, and has risen. Like her Son, who ascended to the Father, so Mary was taken by the angels and transported into heaven with her body. This mystery is called the “Assumption”.

TODAY’S BIBLE READINGS:

ISAIAH 7:10-16: God works His will in mysterious ways. In the birth-giving pangs of a young maiden, when life begins anew, God reveals Himself.

GALATIANS 3:29-4:7: God has chosen us to be His children without distinction of ethnic origin, social class or gender.

LUKE 2:1-7: God incarnates (en-fleshes) Himself in a child. He manifests His strength in the weakness of a child. His place is not with the rich and powerful, but with the poor and weak. If you would seek God, look for Him in the love of a mother for her child, or in the simplest realities that surround us.

YOUR PRAYERS TODAY are requested: for the newly Baptized JACQUELINE NARINE HAMAMYAN that the Holy Spirit of God be with her throughout her life; for the recovery of good health, the healing of infirmities and sickness of those who are at home or in the hospital; for peace in the world, especially in Jerusalem where violence has become a daily occurrence; for unity in the Armenian Church and an end to our divisions; for the people of Artsakh in their legitimate desire to be reunited with our homeland and to be at peace with their neighbors; for the hungry, homeless and poor of our area, for those who feel they are without hope that we be moved to help them all with our actions and not just words.

DER, VOGHORMIA. LORD, HAVE MERCY.

NAME DAYS celebrated today in honor of the Blessed Virgin:

Mariam, Mary, Marie, Antaram, Arpi, Diramayr, Dirouhi, Mayreni, Shoghik, Keghouhi, Surpoohi, Sirarpie, Aghavni, Hamesdouhi, Dirouhi, Imasdouhi, Markareet, Koveli, Nazeli, Baydzar, Arousiag, Dzahgheeg, Pergroohi, Yeranoohi, Yerchanig, Takouhi, Kohar, Vosgi, Isgoohi, Loosaper, Arshalooys, Dawn, Lousadzin, Loosin, Maritza, Goosine, Berjouhi, Shooshan, Prapeon, Hamaspiur, Surpoohi, Gloria, Makrouhi, Vergin, Verkin, Loosine.

These names are descriptions of the Blessed Mother-of-God found in the hymns and prayers of the feast as well as the Holy Scriptures. We pray for those who share their name with the Holy Mother-of-God that they be filled with the Spirit of God to be examples to the world as was the Holy Mother of God.

THE SIGNIFICANCE OF

THE BLESSING OF GRAPES

On the major feast day of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary, the traditional blessing of grapes is held following the Divine Liturgy. This tradition, peculiar to the Armenian Church, is a beautiful ceremony, rich in symbolism and religious significance. It reflects the customary offering of the harvest of the first fruits to God in the pre Christian era of an agrarian society as was the case of the Armenian people. With the adoption of Christianity, this ancient pagan custom assumed a new meaning after the teaching of Christ.

Jesus used the allegory of “the vine and its branches” describing Himself as being the True Vine and His followers the branches. The Virgin Mary - “Christ-bearer” or “birth-giver of God” - as the Holy Mother of God (Asdvadzadzin, Asdvadzamayr) is linked to a tree which bears the “good fruit” (Christ) for our salvation. Grape wine is used in the Holy Communion and after the consecration, it becomes the blood of Christ which was shed on the Cross for us.

Thus in the ceremony of the Grape Blessing, the grapes are “the fruit of salvation” derived from the fruit of the vine; and Christ called Himself the True Vine from which comes the salvation of mankind.

Grapes are propagated by their vine, not by seeds, as was our Lord conceived without human seed, but by special operation of the Holy Spirit.

The Blessing of Grapes is a sacramental ceremony in which we ask the Holy Spirit to make the grapes holy, and for those who eat them in faith to receive physical healing and spiritual nourishment. Perhaps these are reasons why grapes are considered the “Queen of the fruits”; they are blessed in thanksgiving for good harvest throughout the year.

At the conclusion of the ceremony, these grapes will be passed out by our altar servers.

thought for the week . . .

“My life is a listening, He is a speaking. My salvation is to hear and respond. For this, my life must be silent. Hence, my silence is my salvation. The sacrifice that pleases God is the offering of my soul - and of other men’s souls.”

Thomas Merton

Thoughts in Solitude