THE SACRAMENTS OF THE 
ARMENIAN CHURCH

by Fr. Garabed Kochakian


SACRAMENTS AS SYMBOL

One of the most satisfying definitions of the sacraments is 
that they are signs of God's love. The sacraments of our 
faith are essentially symbols which show the plan of God 
as he designed it for all humanity.
	
Signs and symbols are all around us. Things, events and 
people have the capacity to be symbols.  For example, the 
American Flag is a symbol of freedom and independence 
and the person of Abraham Lincoln is a symbol of equality 
and freedom from slavery.
	
By association, we see a symbol as something concrete 
that represents something else. Thus, things, events, and 
people all have the capacity to make present a reality 
greater than ourselves.
	
We may consider symbols in three types. First is the 
conventional symbol which is something that people in a 
particular society agree: it means one thing and not 
another. Second is the accidental symbol which is 
something that has a special meaning for us as 
individuals, but may have very little meaning to someone 
else.  And the third is the universal symbol which pretty 
much conveys the same meaning to all men and women at 
all times and in all places.
	
It is this universal symbol that the church has effectively 
used in the celebrations of the seven sacraments.  They 
speak in a language common to Christians in all 
countries.


THE SEVEN SACRAMENTS IN THE ARMENIAN 
CHURCH ARE

1.  Baptism
2.  Chrismation
3.  Confession
4.  Holy Communion
5.  Marriage
6.  Ordination
7.  Extreme Unction


WHAT IS A SACRAMENT?

Saint Paul provides us our first definition of sacraments.  
In the Latin Bible sacramentum is used to translate the 
Armenian word KHORHOORT which in English means 
mystery.  Mystery is the word Saint Paul used as he 
referred to God's  plan of always wanting to save, renew 
and unite all things in Christ. Saint Paul also teaches us 
that it is through Christ Our Savior that the sacraments 
are most perfectly revealed.  Jesus is mystically present 
in these seven sacramental blessings and is Himself the 
officiant through the person of the priest.  Because Jesus 
Christ is the author of these sacred signs of life, he points 
to the reality that sin and death have been conquered and 
life restored once again.
	
Another way to understand the meaning of the word 
sacrament is to look at it as a way of living our lives in 
the eyes of God.  Even in our daily lives, the things we do 
and say in a sense are sacrament. As we awake daily, 
wash ourselves and nourish our bodies, we develop a 
certain plan, routine, or habit.
	
The sacraments of the Church are precisely this:  they are 
the sacred symbols of a Divine plan for humanity that one 
must follow to attain salvation in God's Heavenly 
Kingdom. They are His way of living a life inspired and 
sanctified by God's presence through Jesus Christ.
	
This same Jesus is present today in the seven sacraments 
or blessings of the church.  He comes to us in such visible 
signs as words, wine and bread, water and oil.  He comes 
to heal us and make us whole and to take us to His loving 
Father.  All that is necessary is that we turn in faith to 
our Lord who is visible to us in these symbols of the 
sacraments and allow Him to touch us today.

THE SACRAMENTS

Orthodox Armenian Christians think of the seven rituals 
when they hear the word sacrament. Also they 
understand the sacraments as outward signs instituted 
by Christ to bestow Grace.
	
The seven ritual sacraments are particular signs that 
represent particular actions and values of Jesus.  In a 
sense they re-enact and re-present what has taken place 
in the past.
	
As we noted earlier, the sacraments were instituted by 
Jesus Christ who is Himself the bestower of these 
blessings from God which we call graces.  But what is it 
we receive by these graces?  Very simply, we receive 
Jesus Christ for HE IS GRACE.  Grace is the gift of God's 
friendship with us.  It is also the story of God's constant 
love for us and, finally,  it is God's invitation to us to live 
in union with Him.

WHAT DOES A SACRAMENT DO?

1.  The sacraments relive what has happened in the past.
2.  The sacraments demonstrate in the present that Jesus 
Christ lives.
3. The sacraments prefigure our glorious future with 
Christ at the end of time.

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Source: Fr. Garabed Kochakian, The Sacraments: The 
Symbols of our Faith. New York: St. Vartan Press, 1983.