Category: Sermons

Message from Rev. Fr. Mesrob Hovsepyan

12/30/2014

It was almost 10 years ago that I visited St. Nersess Seminary for the first time. After graduating from Vaskenian Seminary in Sevan and Gevorkian Seminary in Holy Etchmiadzin (Armenia), this was the first Armenian religious institution outside of our Motherland that I had the privilege of visiting. St. Nersess is an institution which was not only established to educate and prepare future clergymen to serve in the Armenian Church but also educate thousands of young men and women of Armenian descent, and help them stay connected with their language, heritage, and religion.

I highly value and appreciate the work that the faculty of the Seminary do in order to continue the work of our forefathers and the dream of the late Archbishop Tiran Nersoyan, to educate our younger generation, to prepare future servants for the vineyard of our Lord, and create all learning possibilities for adults.

I strongly encourage everyone to stand by St. Nersess Seminary and support its important mission in the United States.

Rev. Fr. Mesrob Hovsepyan
Pastor of St. Gregory the Enlightener Armenian Church
White Plains, NY

Գրեթէ տասը տարի է, որ առիթը ունեցայ առաջին անգամ այցելելու Ս. Ներսէս Ընծայարանը: Այն Հայաստանէն դուրս գտնուող սակաւ հայ կրօնական կրթօճախներէն առաջինն էր, որ այցելելու պատիւն ունեցայ Սեւանի Վազգէնեան Դպրանոցը եւ Գէորգեան Հոգեւոր Ճեմարանը աւարտելէ ետք: Ս. Ներսէս Ընծայարանը բացառիկ հաստատութիւն մըն է Միացեալ Նահանգներուն մէջ, որ ոչ միայն ապագայ հոգեւորականներ պատրաստելու նուիրական գործին լծուած է, այլ առաւելաբար Սփիւռքի մեր հազարաւոր հայորդիներուն կը ներշնչէ եւ կ'օժանդակէ յայտնաբերելու իրենց հարուստ մշակոյթը, կրօնքը, եւ Մեսրոպատառ Հայոց լեզուն:

Իմ խորին երախտագիտութիւնն ու գնահատանքը կը յայտնեմ Ընծայարանի տեսչական ու դասախօսական կազմին, որ նուիրեալ կերպով կը շարունակէ Հոգելոյս Տ. Տիրան Արք. Ներսոյեանի տեսիլքը` մեր երիտասարդ սերունդը կրթելու, ապագայ հոգեւոր սպասաւորներ պատրաստելու, եւ աւագ սերունդին համար կրթական հնարաւոր միջոցներ ստեղծելու նուիրական աշխատանքի շարունակմամբ:

Կը քաջալերեմ բոլորին Ս. Ներսէս Ընծայարանին շուրջը համախմբուիլ եւ օժանդակել անոր կարեւոր առաքելութեան Միացեալ Նահանգներէն ներս:

Տ. Մեսրոպ Յովսէփեան
Ս. Գրիգոր Լուսաւորիչ Հայց. Եկեղեցւոյ Հոգեւոր Հովիւ

November 25th, 2014

11/25/2014

The vision of His Eminence Abp. Tiran Nersoyan of blessed memory, became a reality when St. Nersess Armenian Seminary was established in 1961 to cultivate and nurture Armenian clergy, and especially American born students, with a comprehensive faith based and Armenian heritage education. The distinction of the seminary’s unparalleled service, familiar to everyone, and evidence of its accomplishments is notably owed to the leadership of its successive deans.

During my visits to the Seminary’s summer youth conferences as an instructor to impart knowledge about our cultural treasures, I have witnessed the great interest of the students as they enthusiastically consumed and appropriated information about luminaries and achievements in our cultural timeline that are the source of our pride.

St. Nersess Seminary has taken on a unique role in our community, and we are happy to state that this establishment continues its course crowned with success.

Gilda Buchakjian (Kupelian), Director
Armenian Studies Program
Diocese of the Armenian Church of America (Eastern)

Երջանկայիշատակ Գերաշնորհ Տիրան Արք.Ներսոյեանի մտապատկերը իրականութիւն դարձաւ երբ Սուրբ Ներսէս Ընծայարանը իր դռները բացաւ 1961-ին` կրօնական եւ հայեցի ամբողջական ուսմամբ տածելու հայ հոգեւորականներ եւ յատկապէս Ամերիկածին ուսանողներ: Բոլորիդ ծանօթ Ընծայարանի անհամեմատելի ծառայութեան արժանիքը եւ յաջողութեան ապացոյցը կը կայանայ հերթական անզուգական տնօրէններու ղեկավարութեան:

Երբ այցելած եմ Ընծայարանը ամառնային դասընթացքներուն` մեր մշակոյթի ծանօթ եւ երբեմն թաքուն հարստութիւններուն մասին գիտելիքներ բաժնելու - մեծ գոհունակութեամբ ականատես եղած եմ աշակերտներուն հետաքրքրութեան եւ իրազեկութեան երբ հպարտանքի արժանի դէմքերու եւ նուաճումներու մասին գիտելիքներ կը կլանէին եւ կ’իւրացնէին:

Սուրբ Ներսէս Ընծայարանը եզակի դեր ստանձնած է մեր համայնքին մէջ եւ ուրախ ենք նշելու որ այս հաստատութիւնը կը շարունակէ իր ուղեւորութիւնը յաջողութեամբ պսակուած:

Արեւելեան Թեմի Առաջնորդարանի
Հայագիտական Ուսմանց Բաժանմունքի Տնօրէն`
Կիլտա Պչաքճեան (Քիւփէլեան)

Feast of the Presentation of the Mother-of-God Mary to the Temple

11/26/2013

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by Eric Vozzy, Seminarian, presented in the St. Nersess Seminary chapel

Within the past several years, there has been a significant increase in environmental awareness. In general, we are much more conscious about tending the earth and being good stewards of it. Why is that? The simplest answer is that we claim the earth as the space in which we live, and we value it for ourselves as well as future generations. On a smaller scale, there is residential space. Whether one rents or owns, we take care of the space in which we live. We have rules such as, “take your shoes off at the door”. We clean, design to our taste, and take extra care when a guest comes over. Why do we do these things? Again, it’s the space where we live, and we view our living space as sacred.

Speaking of sacred space, what about the Church building, or “Temple”, and in a moment we’ll see why the word “Temple” is appropriate. The Khoran, the area where the altar sits, where the priest and deacons serve, is treated with what we sometimes think of as mere protocol, but in actuality is holy reverence. Serving at the altar I take notice of the attention to detail; how liturgical vessels are cleaned, carried, put in their proper place, and how all of this space is treated with such care, as if it has been touched by glory. And indeed it has been; by God’s glory. Once again, this is sacred living space, where the presence of God resides, and it is treated as such.

Today, and every November 21st marks the Feast Day of ԸնձայումնԱստուածածնի; The Presentation of Mary to the Temple. According to this rite, children were typically presented forty days after they were born, but according to Holy Tradition, Mary was presented at the age of three, remained in the temple to serve for twelve years, and emerged at the age of fifteen. And of course, soon after this she would be visited by the Archangel Gabriel who would tell her she would become Աստուածածին, the Bearer of God; the vessel or temple to carry the Son of God, Jesus Christ.

But there is something interesting to notice about the Temple at this time in history. It was “ark-less”. That is, the Ark of the Covenant, the vessel that contained the glory of God, was lost. The Temple at this time was a replacement of the Temple which once held the Ark, but was destroyed by the Babylonians. We read in 1 Esdras 1:54, “And all the holy vessels of the Lord, great and small, and the treasure chests of the Lord, and the royal stores, they took and carried away to Babylon.” As glorious as the architecture of the Temple might’ve been, the Temple itself was empty of the glory of God.

And Mary enters this Temple to be presented and accepted by God. The one who will become the True Ark; the one who will bear God in her womb; the True Bearer of the glory of God. So Mary is being presented to the Temple; to God. Mary is the Temple of God. And in the epistle reading for today, St. Paul tells us that we are the Temple of the living God. 2 Cor. 6:16 reads, “What agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God; as God said, "I will live in them and move among them, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.”

Like a good steward of the earth, like a good resident or homeowner, or like a good altar server, do we take the time and effort to closely examine our own space, our own temples, and the temple of the community in order to remove what doesn’t belong? The glory is there, in our space. We have been anointed by the Holy Spirit when we were baptized into a community; into the Body of Christ; the Church. At the Incaration, when Jesus took on the form of flesh and redeemed us, and restored creation, and the image of God within us. And of what does St. Paul remind us? Idols are not welcome!

Nothing is more damaging, tempting, and incompatible with the Temple of God than idolatry. Idols are anything that distracts us from placing God first in our life. This is the first of the Ten Commandments: “You shall have no other gods before Me.” Therefore, we have to constantly keep the Temple clean, individually, as well as communally. Unceasing upkeep and maintenance is required, such as addressing pain and suffering, forgiveness of one another, confession, repentance, and regular participation in the sacramental life of the Church.

Just like we quickly react to a piece of litter on the ground, or dirt, or stains anywhere in our sacred space, we should react the same way to what prevents us from properly presenting ourselves to God. If we let it go, the stain will set in, the dirt will build becoming encrusted, and more difficult to remove. And idols will make themselves at home to the point of not being noticed anymore, similar to becoming accustomed to piece of funiture or decor in our home that just becomes part of the lansdcape, no longer noticeable as we walk past it everyday.

Again, listen to what St. Paul says. We are the Temple of God. God lives in and among us. We have been touched by His glory. And like Mary, the Bearer of God, we are the bearer of His good news; His message of love. Let us pray that we always remember that every moment of our life counts, and is therefore a presentation or dedication to God. Which is why humility is such a significant virtue. Again, anything that causes distraction or tempts us away from the Lord is an idol, and very often our own pride. The gospel reading for today, Mary’s song of Praise to God after she received news about her being chosen as the God-Bearer, is all about humility, and magnifying God despite our pride.

So today, as we remember Mary, as the God-Bearer; or the Ark, and her presentation to the Temple, let’s take a moment, maybe even during the remainder of Badarak, or before we commune, to present and dedicate ourselves to God in humility, and think about what idols we have set up, or allowed into our Temple, the sacred place where God lives, and rightly treat it as a space presented to and bearing God’s glory.

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Message from Rev. Fr. Mesrob Hovsepyan

November 25th, 2014

Feast of the Presentation of the Mother-of-God Mary to the Temple

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Armonk, NY 10504

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Message from Rev. Fr. Mesrob Hovsepyan

November 25th, 2014

Feast of the Presentation of the Mother-of-God Mary to the Temple

Archives

Categories

Directions to the Seminary

486 Bedford RoadArmonk, NY 10504

Contact Us

486 Bedford Road
Armonk, NY 10504