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. 1993 Fr. Vazken Movsesian Address comments to: dervaz@sain.org -------------------------------------- January 1993 Parish Priest's Message While President Clinton is busy looking after the rights of homosexuals in the military, there are people dying in the world. Of course, there are people dying every day Ñ some naturally, some by accident, some by assault while others, because of hard circumstances. It is this last category that we should be concerned with, because it is the only one we have direct control over. Today Armenia is in pre-famine condition. There is no letting up of the blockade. Fuel and food are scarce. Our primate, Archbishop Hovsepian, brings the point home hard when he says, "If we do not extend imperative and immediate urgent humanitarian assistance, our people will experience, without warÉ a second Genocide in the Twentieth Century." Just as President Clinton is paying his political debts, we too find ourselves faced with an obligationÑ one of life or death. At the turn of the century the world paid little, if any, attention to the plight of the Armenian nation. Fortunately, today we have people who are able to rise beyond self-pity and bring aid to Armenia. And those people are usÑ Armenian Americans who have the means and ability to help. When I write about the happenings at St. Andrew, it is nothing more than to witness to the power of God working in a small community. Our Lord has promised, "Whoever is faithful in a very little is faithful also in muchÉ" (Luke 16:10). And yes, God has worked miracles through this small community. Only last week, our parish assembly convened and the reports were all positive: we are meeting our obligations. This is not to say that the year has been without its share of hardships. But, who are we to ever doubt or second guess the power of God to work within us. And be certain, that God will work once again through us on this latest project. On page 3 of this newsletter, you will read the most recent appeal for help to Armenia. After receiving this communiquŽ from our Primate, we began our local aid efforts to Armenia with the formation of an ad hoc committee. I have appointed Jacob Hagopian to head this committee. As you will read, we are in desperate need of certain items. We are asking the community to use their means and resources to secure aid. On Sunday, February 7, we will have a community briefing about "Operation Winter Rescue." Responsibilities and tasks will be designated on that day. If you are unable to attend, please contact our office to volunteer your assistance. Every bit helps. Let us keep in mind that God works through His Holy ChurchÑ the hands, feet, and mouth of Christ on Earth. And every one of us, as members of His Church, play a vital role toward accomplishing His Work. ÑFr. Vazken Apostolic or Orthodox? On January 10, we were honored to have with us Rev. Fr. Jon Braun as the guest preacher during the Divine Liturgy. His dynamic and charismatic personality made itself evident in his message and left the church buzzing that morning. Fr. Braun's presence at the altar and participation in the water blessing brought some confusion to our parishioners regarding the title "orthodox;" after all, we have all been brought up with the notion that the Armenian Church is "apostolic." And even some, mistakenly, refer to our Church as "loosavorchagan." Quickly, here is a brief run down of these terms and their meanings: Apostolic refers to our origin and our mission. The Armenian Church is "apostolic" because we were founded by the Apostles Sts. Thaddeus and Bartholomew and because we continue the mission of the apostles in the same manner. Orthodox means "the correct path." In the strictest sense of the word the Armenian Church is an Orthodox Church. The Armenian Church belongs to a family of churches referred to as the "Oriental Orthodox" or "Lesser Eastern Orthodox" churches. The term "lesser" refers to numbers and not doctrine. Loosavorchagan means "belonging to the Illuminator," that is Gregorian. This term is usually attached to our church to disprove our apostolic origins. St. Gregory the Illuminator formalized Christianity in Armenia, but as history attests, the Christian Church operated in Armenian, albeit underground, since the time of the Apostles. Armenian Church is the most common name given to our Church. In the Armenian language, the name is hayasdanyatz yegheghetzi = the Church of Armenia = the Church of the Armenian people. --Fr. Vazken -------------------------------------- c. 1993 Fr. Vazken Movsesian Address comments to: dervaz@sain.org --------------------------------------