One of the wonderful things about the Christmas season is the way it re-introduces us to such interesting people. And it’s not limited to friends and family: some of the most memorable re-introductions come from the surrounding culture. Who can suppress a warm smile at their first yearly sighting of Santa, Rudolph, and the elves? Or at the Grinch, and the whole Peanuts gang?
“Be patient; keep your heart stable. For the Lord is coming, and he is at hand.” (Epistle of St. James 5:8)
Most Christian churches lead up to Christmas with a period called Advent. Advent means “coming,” and refers to the coming of our Savior, Jesus Christ.
In Armenian we call this lead-up period Hisnag—from the word for “fifty”—referring to the 50-day period of preparation anticipating the Nativity and Theophany of Christ (celebrated on January 6 in the Armenian Church).
This week the world passed a milestone in the history of Christian spirituality: the 500th anniversary of the beginning of the Protestant Reformation—traditionally pegged to October 31, 1517. On that date, Martin Luther is said to have posted his “Ninety-Five Theses” on the door of a Wittenberg cathedral, criticizing the Roman Catholic clergy for the practice of selling indulgences.
To Armenians in the United States, “Armenian Cultural Month” has been a feature of community life for as long as they can remember. It arrives each October—and with it a flurry of lectures, readings, exhibits, sacred celebrations, and events intended to remind Armenians of the richness of their cultural heritage.
For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing. But to those of us who are being saved, it is the power of God. (I Corinthians 1:18)
This coming Sunday will be the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross: the start of the season of the Holy Cross, one of the five major divisions of the Armenian Church calendar.
