Dear Parishioners in addition to Holy Badarak on Sundays now you can sing up and attend various worship services offered during the week at St. James Armenian Church.
Click here to read the General Guidelines and Policies for Phase 2.
Click here to read about the steps taken for your safe participation.

We are looking forward to worship with you in the Holy Sanctuary of St. James in Evanston.
Please choose below the service you would like to attend and sign up.

Please signup before you come. It helps us plan better and prepare for safe worship time.

Sunday, January 10 – Holy Badarak at 10 AM

Please note that Cook County issued stay-at-home advisory.  
CLICK HERE to read more.

FEAST OF THE NAMINF OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST

Each year on January 13, the Armenian Apostolic Church celebrates the Feast of the Naming of Our Lord Jesus Christ. As the evangelist St. Luke writes in his Gospel, according to Jewish tradition, “On the eighth day, when it was time to circumcise Him, He was named Jesus, the name the angel had given Him before He had been conceived” (2:21). Jesus is a Hebrew word meaning “savior.” According to the Gospel of St. Luke, when the angel Gabriel came to Mary to give her the good tidings of the birth of the Son of the Most High, he told Mary that she was to name the baby Jesus: “You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus” (1:31). Parallel to the name Jesus is the name Christ, which is a Greek word meaning “consecrated,” corresponding to the Hebrew word messiah. 

On the Feast of the Naming of Our Lord Jesus Christ, the Divine Liturgy is celebrated in all Armenian Churches. On the eve of this Feast, a special ceremony is also conducted following evening services.

FEAST OF THE NATIVITY OF ST. JOHN THE FORERUNNER (ST. JOHN THE BAPTIST)

The birth of St. John the Baptist is described in detail in Luke 1:5-25. One day, Zechariah, father of St John the Baptist, was doing his work as a priest in the temple and was burning incense at the altar. An angel of the Lord appeared to him and said that God had heard his prayer and that his wife would bear him a son. Zechariah was to name him John. Zechariah didn’t believe the angel as he was an old man and his wife was old, too. As a result of not believing the angel, Zechariah became mute and remained silent until John the Baptist’s birth.

St. John the Baptist, who would later baptize Our Savior, had become aware of and rejoiced the birth of Jesus even before His birth. According to the Evangelist, Luke, when St. Mary, Holy Mother of God, visited Elizabeth, mother of St John the Baptist, the latter, being filled with the Holy Spirit cried out, “Why should this great thing happen to me, that my Lord’s mother comes to visit me? For as soon as I heard your greeting, the baby within me jumped with gladness” (1:43-44).

Elizabeth is addressing all Christians throughout the world in her message on this feast day when she says, “How happy you are to believe that the Lord’s message to you will come true!” (Luke 1:45).

Thursday, January 14           
Feast of the Nativity of St. John the Forerunner
(St. John the Baptist)

Friday, January 15               
Fast

Saturday January 16            
Commemoration of Sts. Peter of Alexandria, Bishop Blaise and Deacon Absolom

NAME DAY CELEBRATIONS

Whenever you know a friend or loved one whose Name Day/Feast Day is soon to be celebrated, honor the person by presenting them with a lit candle saying, "Anoonovut abrees" or "Anoonovut dzeranas" ("May you grow old with your name"). Or you can simply say, “Happy Name Day!”

NAME DAY celebrated this week: John, Hovhannes, Garabed (January 14), Peter, Bedros (January 16)

Monday          
John 1:29-34; 1 Thessalonians 4:12-17;
John 11:1-46

Tuesday         
John 1:35-51; Romans 1:1-7; Luke 2:1-7

Wednesday    
Luke 2:8-14; Luke 2:15-20; Luke 3:1-4:13; 
Colossians 2:8-15;    Luke 2:21

Thursday       
Proverbs 8:4-11; Malachi 4:4-6;
Isaiah 40:3-5; Acts 13:25-33; Luke 1:57-80

Friday            
1 Timothy 4:1-12; John 2:23-3:12

Saturday        
Wisdom 5:1-8; Baruch 3:31-4:4; 
Romans 8:28-39; John 10: 11-16