Message of Fr. Vazken Movsesian, parish priest of St. Andrew Armenian Church, Cupertino, from the Nakhagoch Newsletter. Electronic version archived on: SAIN-- St. Andrew Information Network -------------------------------------- c. 1987 Fr. Vazken Movsesian Address comments to: dervaz@sain.org -------------------------------------- June 1986 HRIPSIME & GAYANE On June 3 & 4 the Saints Hripsime (pron.=Hur-eep-see-meh) and Gayane (pron.=Guy-a-neh) were remembered by the Armenian Church. These two ladies were a part of 37 young maidens who were martyred during the 4th century. Because of their actions we as Armenian Christians exist today. Although they were Romans, the Armenian Church recognizes them as her own Saints, because they were martyred in Armenia--because their innocent blood was shed on Armenian soil. STORY The story of Hripsime and Gayane is recorded by Historians Agathangulus and Movses of Khoren. Abp. Shnork Kalustian has compiled the stories from the various sources. (Hye Azgi Soorber) Presented here is a brief overview. At the turn of the 4th century A.D. the Roman Emperor Diocletian decides to marry the prettiest maiden in the Roman Empire. He finds a maiden (in Armenian she is referred to as a "virgin") named Hripsime. Gayane is the convent's Mother superior. When the sisterhood heard of the Emperor's request they decided to leave Rome. At night, secretly, they left Rome. They traveled through Alexandria, Van and finally settled near the town of Vagharshabad (today known as Etchmiadzin). Diocletian sends word to Dirtad (King of Armenians) to find these young maidens and send them back to Rome. King Dirtad finds Hripsime; however, now King Dirtad is overwhelmed by her beauty and want her for himself. Being a member of the sisterhood, Hripsime refuses King Dirtads request, also considering that the King was married to Ashkhen. Dirtad calls Gayane to persuade Hripsime. Gayane, however, tells Hripsime to stand strong in her commitment to refuse and encourages her "not to trade the joys and pleasures of heaven with the glories of this world." Gayane is tortured, beaten and imprisoned with two of her sisters for going against the will of the King. Hrispime escapes and goes near her sisters. Dirtad, furious, orders soldiers to kill Hripsime. They torture and brutally beat Hripsime. Her bones are broken and she eventually dies. When the other maidens come to pick up her body to give her a solemn burial--the soldiers kill them as well--32 of them. On the next day Dirtad orders Gayane and the two other sisters imprisoned with her to be killed. The irony of this is that these maidens were killed by the same king, who would, in the next year, declare Christianity as the national religion of Armenia! No longer being able to live with himself, Dirtad becomes ill. He takes on the form of an animal. This was the reason that St. Gregory was brought out of the pit (khor-virab)--to heal King Dirtad. As we know, St. Gregory had been sentenced to a pit at the base of Mt. Ararat, by King Dirtad, for his Christian faith. St. Gregory is release from the pit and heals King Dirtad. Dirtad, being convinced of the power of Christ, declares Christianity as the national religion of Armenia, thus Armenia becomes the first nation to accept Christianity as a state religion. (301 A.D.) One of the first things St. Gregory does is bury the remains of the maidens and construct shrines on their graves. Over the years those shrines deteriorated. In the 7th century Catholicos Gomidas built a church on the remains of St. Hripsime and Catholicos Ezra built a church on the remains of Gayane. Today, these two monestaries are still standing and used in Armenia. During the feast of Sts. Hripsime and Gayane, thousands of Armenian pilgrams come to these monestaries to offer their prayers. Built vugayaran shrine where Hripsime and Gayane were martyred. Under the altars at these churches, are found the tombs of these saints. In more recent times, in 1979, during some construction and excavation work in the garden of the Monestary at St. Hripsime, workers found an ancient cemetary with beheaded remains. These remains are regarded as the 32 sisters of Hripsime who were martyred with her. STS. HRIPSIME AND GAYANE TODAY What was the reason for their martyrdom? In a sense, one can say because they did not comply with the will of the King. But much more, it was because they chose to stand firm to their principles--higher principles than the ones of this world. As St. Gayane said: "do not trade the joys and pleasures of heaven with the glories of this world." In this story we observe the true meaning of martyrdom being revealed. There is an option--to engage in the Kings desires (the glory of this world) or be faithful to your Christian principles even if the consequence is death. What happens here: Sts. Hripsime and Gayane opt for their Christian principles, hence opting for death. As a result, King Dirtad is driven to insanity. St. Gregory is brought out of the pit and as a result Armenians become the first Christian nation. Let's play "what if." What if St. Hripsime had given into the King's desires? It would have been very possible that Dirtad would not have needed St. Gregory's healing. Therefore, Armenians would have remained pagan. If we accept the idea that our ethnic identity has been preserved because of our Chirstian faith, we can take it a step further and say we are Armenian Chirstians today, because of the action taken by these maidens. In the Armenian Church, we do not worship saints, rather we view them as the true followers of Christ. They are to be imitated. It may be hard for us to understand, or relate to the events that surround the story of Sts. Hripsime and Gayane, especially today: where freedom allows us to chose without consequences; where kept virginity is not as much a virtue as lost virginity. Nevertheless, they provide for us the ideals to which we should aspire. Sts. Hripsime and Gayane were women of principles. They were not interested in the easy way out, nor the glories of this world, rather they were interested in finding the ways that were pleasing to God. --- Fr. Vazken -------------------------------------- c. 1987 Fr. Vazken Movsesian Address comments to: dervaz@sain.org --------------------------------------