PRAYER REQUESTS

One of our most fundamental Christian responsibilities is to

pray. There is truly great power in prayer. During this Divine

Liturgy and throughout this next week your prayers are

requested for: Kappy Pease, Dr. David Manning, Jr., Mary

Aljalian, Mark Jozokos, Joan & Armand Bazegian, Laura

Wormel, Kate Heck, Laura Hynds, Laora Grigoryan, Rebecca

Meek, Michael O’Connor, Sara Omartian, Gary Tumasyan,

Florence Keough, James Dertad Omartian, Anita Assarian,

Zhirayr Khachigian, Akabe Boghosian, Debbie Manning and

all those in need of our prayers.

Please notify Der Sevak whenever you know of anyone who is sick or in need of a visit, whether at home or in the

hospital. Thank You.

CALENDAR Thurs, Jan 5 – Armenian Christmas Eve at 6:30pm

Sun, Jan 8 – Armenian Christmas Divine Liturgy 10am

followed by a traditional Armenian Sunday

dinner of pilaf and chicken – details to follow

(Note: Original Potluck Brunch canceled)

SANAHIN INFORMATION WANTED!

We're looking for stories for the next issue of

the Sanahin! Please send any information to

stmarksanahin@gmail.com

Deadline for information to be published in the

weekly Sunday Bulletin is Thursday evening. Please

contact Jeri Humphries at hyejeri@hotmail.com or

(413) 589-9855 to submit information for the

bulletin. Thank you for your cooperation!

ՍԻՐԵՑԷՔ ԶՄԻՄԵԱՆՍ ՈՐՊԷՍ ԵԻ ԵՍ ՁԵԶ ՍԻՐԵՑԻ

“LOVE ONE ANOTHER AS I HAVE LOVED YOU”

St. Mark Armenian Church 2427 Wilbraham Road

Springfield, MA 01129

Rev. Fr. Sevak Gabrielyan Church Office: 413-783-5793

Der Sevak’s Cell: 914-888-4836

Email: frsevak.gabrielyan@gmail.com

Office Hours: Tuesday-Friday

Sunday Bulletin

January 1, 2017

Church Services at 10am

Welcome to St. Mark Armenian Church

Parish Council Greeters

Karen Tesini and Karen Omartian

Coffee Hour Host:

Karen Tesini

SCRIPTURE READING

Luke 22:24-30 - Who Is the Greatest?

24 A dispute also arose among them, as to which of them was

to be regarded as the greatest. 25

And he said to them, “The

kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them, and those

in authority over them are called benefactors. 26

But not so

with you. Rather, let the greatest among you become as the

youngest, and the leader as one who serves. 27

For who is the

greater, one who reclines at table or one who serves? Is it not

the one who reclines at table? But I am among you as the one

who serves.

28 “You are those who have stayed with me in my trials,

29 and

I assign to you, as my Father assigned to me, a kingdom, 30

that you may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom and

sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel.

Attention All Chairmen and Treasurers

Annual Reports and Year-End Audits

Now is a great time for organization Chairmen and Treasurers

to start working on their written and financial reports for

publication in the annual parish report.

In January, the audit committee will be scheduling

appointments for each organization’s audit. Treasurers should

begin to get their books and all their financial documentation

in order for the annual end of the year audit.

WE WISH YOU ALL A VERY

HAPPY AND HEALTHY

NEW YEAR!

The Blessing of Pomegranates

Throughout the centuries, the pomegranate has been weaved into

Armenian architecture, cuisine, art, manuscripts, literature, liturgical

vestments and accessories. For the first time in history in 2015, the

Supreme Patriarch of the Armenian Church, His Holiness Karekin II,

Catholicos of all Armenians, together with the Armenian faithful,

introduced a new service for the Blessing of Pomegranates, one of the

seven biblical species of fruits and grains, at the Mother See of Holy

Etchmiadzin.

Christians have seen in the pomegranate an image of the Church: the

seeds may be separated by a membrane, but they are undivided. The

seeds are in communion, just like us, the faithful of the Church, acting

as one body without losing our individuality in the Church; through the

blood of Christ, we become greater than the sum of our parts! The

striking red color of the fruit reminds us of Christ’s blood and suffering,

and the calyx (head) of the pomegranate represents Christ’s crown as

the King of kings.

For the various cultures of the Mediterranean region, the fruit represents

life, fertility, and abundance. The pomegranate has numerous health

benefits due to its high antioxidant content, and is the subject of

research for its effects on cancer, cardiovascular disease, and diabetes

among other conditions. Long before science revealed the healing

powers of the pomegranate, the Christian Armenians have associated

this biblical fruit with the mystery of the Good News of our Lord Jesus

Christ.

This mysterious, life giving, and delicious fruit needs to be unwrapped

like a gift to reveal its beauty and nutrition. This miraculous and sacred

fruit reminds us of the message of the Gospel. When the plain shell of

the pomegranate is burst, we see the gems that it contains; similarly, one

needs to dig deeply into the Christian faith to uncover its sweet

treasures. At the core of that Christian teaching is the figure of Jesus,

who in every way was an ordinary mortal human, yet revealed himself

to be the incarnate Creator and Savior of the universe.

As we welcome the new year, may each of us reveal like pomegranates

the sweet treasure of goodness planted in us by our Lord. May the new

year be fruitful and abundantly filled with God’s unconditional love.