Vardavar is not merely a day of popular merriment, of splashing water, or of summer festivity. It is, first and foremost, the commemoration of the Holy Transfiguration of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ: that wondrous moment upon Mount Tabor when Christ revealed His divine glory to His disciples—Peter, James, and John. As the Gospel testifies: “And He was transfigured before them; and His face shone as the sun, and His...

Holy Etchmiadzin, the spiritual center of all Armenians, is not merely a historical or religious sanctuary in the life of our people. It is a living symbol of national identity, spiritual continuity, and pan-Armenian unity. In this sense, the feast of Etchmiadzin is not simply a remembrance of past glory, but a renewed call to rediscover the strength of our faith, our roots, and our collective national...

On the Feast of the Holy Translators, we turn again to the saintly heroes who gave our people an alphabet to express our unique, native language; allowed us to approach the Holy Scriptures in our own tongue; exemplified for all time a way of living shaped by learning, wisdom, and integrity—instead of superstition, selfishness, and deceit. Even 16 centuries later, we still benefit from the gifts they gave. But what...

Today, on the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, Armenian Church lifts high the sign that has guided Armenian people through night and day, sorrow and joy, death and life. We do not exalt a piece of wood, but the mystery it bears: the self-emptying love of the Only Begotten, who stretched out His arms to gather the world into the embrace of the Father. The Cross is our banner and our compass, the axis where heaven and...

As we gather to celebrate the Feast of the Assumption of St. Mary and the accompanying blessing of grapes, we are reminded of the profound relationship between faith and nature, the divine and the mundane, within the Armenian Apostolic Church. This feast, celebrated on the Sunday nearest August 15, stands as a significant event in our liturgical calendar, beautifully intertwining the veneration of the Holy Mother of God with...

Beloved brothers and sisters in Christ, Today, we gather to reflect on the Feast of Transfiguration, or Vartavar, celebrated by the Armenian Church. This sacred day echoes through our history, intertwining the remnants of pre-Christian rituals with the profound significance of Christ's divine revelation. As we stand on this robust lineage of faith and tradition, let us embark on a journey to unveil the layers of meaning...