This Sunday! - April 23, 2023 - 10:30 AM
400 Huntwood Rd., Swansea, IL 62226
Joint Commemoration of the Armenian Saints
Badarak at Holy Virgin Mary & Shoghagat Armenian Church
with reception following.
May 7, 2023 - Fellowship Club Speakers Luncheon featuring Drs. Armine Nadiryan and Raffi Krikorian
May 14, 2023 - Mother's Day Luncheon
May 21, 2023 - Graduate Sunday
June 3, 2023 -Trivia Night sponsored by St. Gregory Church and Holy Seraphim Choir
Details below.
We wanted to offer a word of thanks to Granite City Mayor Mike Parkinson who issued a Proclamation on Tuesday, April 18th during the Granite City City Council Meeting, establishing a Friendship City relationship between Granite City, IL and Ashan in the Republic of Artsakh. During discussions with the Mayor, members of the St. Gregory Board of Trustees and the Armenian National Committee of Southern IL, provided the Mayor with updates on the current situation in Artsakh.
We shared our grave concerns in regard to the potential for ethnic cleansing and even Genocide for the Armenians of Artsakh. The Mayor shared our concerns and agreed to establish the Friendship City relationship.
Thank you Mayor Parkinson for fulfilling your mantra of " Thinking Globally, and Acting Locally".
We also want to thank Der Taniel for opening the City Council Meeting with the Lord's Prayer and Hayr Mer., and for your support throughout the process.
Lastly, we want to thank the approx 50 community members and Granite City AYF Members who came to show their support for this event. Thank you all.
Bible readings for Sunday, April 23, Sunday of the World Church, Green Sunday, are: (1) Luke 6:12-49 (2) Acts 9:23-31; 1 Peter 2:1-10; John 2:23-3:12; (3) Matthew 8:18-9:8; (4) Mark 3:6-12.
1 Peter 2:1-10
Rid yourselves, therefore, of all malice, and all guile, insincerity, envy, and all slander. Like newborn infants, long for the pure, spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow into salvation—if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good.
Come to him, a living stone, though rejected by mortals yet chosen and precious in God’s sight, and like living stones, let yourselves be built into a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. For it stands in scripture: “See, I am laying in Zion a stone, a cornerstone chosen and precious; and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame.” To you then who believe, he is precious; but for those who do not believe, “The stone that the builders rejected has become the very head of the corner,” and “A stone that makes them stumble, and a rock that makes them fall.” They stumble because they disobey the word, as they were destined to do.
But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s own people, in order that you may proclaim the mighty acts of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.
***
John 2:23-3:12
When he was in Jerusalem during the Passover festival, many believed in his name because they saw the signs that he was doing. But Jesus on his part would not entrust himself to them, because he knew all people and needed no one to testify about anyone, for he himself knew what was in everyone.
Now there was a Pharisee named Nicodemus, a leader of the Jews. He came to Jesus by night and said to him, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God; for no one can do these signs that you do apart from the presence of God.” Jesus answered him, “Very truly, I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God without being born from above.” Nicodemus said to him, “How can anyone be born after having grown old? Can one enter a second time into the mother’s womb and be born?” Jesus answered, “Very truly, I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God without being born of water and Spirit. What is born of the flesh is flesh, and what is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not be astonished that I said to you, ‘You must be born from above.’ The wind blows where it chooses, and you hear the sound of it, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.” Nicodemus said to him, “How can these things be?” Jesus answered him, “Are you a teacher of Israel, and yet you do not understand these things? Very truly, I tell you, we speak of what we know and testify to what we have seen; yet you do not receive our testimony. If I have told you about earthly things and you do not believe, how can you believe if I tell you about heavenly things?”
Please reach out to our NRA Delegates, Janet Haroian or Andy Asadorian to purchase the NRA Raffle Tickets!
Just a reminder that all prayer and requiem requests must be submitted via the church email by Thursday noon in order to be included in the weekly E-bulletin.
Thank you.
Join us for the reception after Badarak at Holy Shoghagat Armenian Church in Belleville, IL.
If anyone wishes to host a future Fellowship hour, please notify Takouhie Kakligian via the church email.