From: rich <
richarra@gmail.com>
September 30th - St. Gregory Ashtishat, The Illuminator
(240?-332?)
Most of the readers of this column, if asked where Armenia is located,
would be at a loss to give an answer. Lying between the Black and
Caspian Seas, Armenia touches on both Turkey and Iran. But at other
times Armenia covered a larger area; and the Armenians, bitterly
persecuted throughout their existence, have scattered around the
world.
Armenian Christians are mostly Eastern Orthodox, numbering about 3.5
million. Since the last century, however, the Catholic Armenians have
had their own patriarch, whose seat is in Beirut. They number perhaps
140,000. In 1981 a missionary diocese was established for the 38,000
Catholic Armenians in the United States.
Both Orthodox and Catholic Armenians honor as the effective founder of
Armenian Christianity, St. Gregory the Illuminator, whose life spanned
the late third and early fourth centuries. If local histories of the
Christian origins of nations tend to be confused, the story of
Christian Armenian beginnings is especially short on facts and long on
fancies. Here, however, in brief, is what appears to be the biography
of St. Gregory of Armenia.
Armenian tradition says that Gregory was the son of a prominent
nobleman named Anak. Anak assassinated the Armenian King Chosroes I.
The boy, at least, was saved from death at the hands of the royal
avengers by being raised at faraway Caesarea in Cappadocia. Having
received there a Christian education, he returned to his nation intent
on preaching the Catholic faith, at that time professed by relatively
few of his countrymen.
The future saint carried out this mission to the pagan Armenians with
zeal and courage, says the story. He even ventured to destroy the
heathen temple at Ashtishat. For this he was imprisoned by the irate
King Tiridates. It was a long and hard incarceration, but he survived
it and was finally released. Resuming his interrupted apostolate, he
converted even the king himself, and had the joy of seeing
Christianity declared the faith of the nation.
As a result, he was named bishop of Ashtishat around 315 and was
consecrated by Archbishop Leontius of Caesarea. Carrying his efforts
still further, Bishop Gregory went on to convert the kings of
Caucasian Iberia, Lazes and Albania.
For the continuance of the Church's work, he consecrated as bishops
two sons that he had from his marriage as a layman. Towards the end of
his life he retired to a hermitage in the desert. Unfortunately, since
one of his bishop-sons was also married, the bishops who followed him
continued to be chosen from the same family. After a century, that
type of succession was finally straightened out. The episcopate is not
an inherited office.
The Armenian Rite liturgy, while basically the same as all Masses,
differs in many respects from both the Latin Rite, which we follow,
and the Greek Rite, followed by the Greek and Slavic rites, both
Catholic and separated. In the Armenian Rite, there is a special
prayer of faith in the Holy Trinity. When the great first ecumenical
council was convoked in A.D. 325 to define that Christ is truly
divine, St. Gregory had sent his son and successor, St. Aristakes, to
represent him. Bishop Aristakes brought back home the text of the
Creed we all use in the Mass today, which defines that the Son is =E2=80=9C= one
in Being with the Father.=E2=80=9D When the old Illuminator read it, he is
said to have uttered the words of praise that the Armenians have used
ever since after the singing of the Creed at Mass:
=E2=80=9CAs for us, we praise Him who was before time, worshipping the Holy Trinity and the one Godhead of the Father, the Son and the Holy
Spirit, now and throughout all ages!=E2=80=9D
=E2=80=93Father Robert
See more at:
http://www.turizm.net/cities/cappadocia/stgregory.htm
Source:
By Gevork Nazaryan
http://www.armenianhighland.com/stgregory/
Saint Quote:
Grace has been given mystically to those who have been baptized into
Christ; and it becomes active within them to the extent that they
actively observe the commandments. Grace never ceases to help us
secretly; but to do good--as far as lies in our power--depends on us.
--Saint Mark the Ascetic
Bible Quote:
Impenitence of Israel and Judah
4 What shall I do with you, O E=E2=80=B2phraim?
What shall I do with you, O Judah?
Your love is like a morning cloud,
like the dew that goes early away.
5 Therefore I have hewn them by the prophets,
I have slain them by the words of my mouth,
and my judgment goes forth as the light.[a]
6 For I desire steadfast love and not sacrifice,
the knowledge of God, rather than burnt offerings. Hosea 6:4-6 RSVCE
<><><><>
Glorious God, give me grace to amend my
life and to have an eye to mine end without
grudge of death, which to them that die in
thee, good Lord, is the fate of a wealthy life
Give me, good Lord, a full faith, a firm hope
and a fervent charity, a love to thee
incomparable above the love to myself.
Give me, good Lord, a longing to be with
thee, not for the avoiding of the calamities of
this world, nor so much for the attaining of
the joys of heaven, as for very love of thee.
--Thomas More (1478-1535), from a prayer
written a few days before his execution<
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* Origin: News Gate @ Net396 -Huntsville, AL - USA (1:396/4)