These days, we are cleaning and emptying St. Vartan Cathedral before the renovation begins. The sanctuary itself is familiar, beautiful, and orderly. But behind the spaces everyone sees and downstairs in the basement are rooms filled with things that have accumulated over many years; boxes, papers, keys, furniture, and objects someone once thought might be useful. Renovation begins with emptying. The same is often true of the human heart. We all have hidden rooms where we pla

Midnight is a strange time to sing, especially in a prison. The Book of Acts tells us that Paul and Silas were arrested for preaching the Gospel. They were stripped, beaten, and thrown into the darkest part of a prison. Their feet were fastened in stocks. Their bodies were wounded, and they had no reason to believe that morning would bring anything better. Yet Scripture tells us, “About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God” (Acts 16:25). Their song wa

We have never had so much spiritual knowledge at our fingertips, and yet many of us still feel spiritually tired. With a few taps, we can listen to a sermon, join a Bible study, learn about the saints, or watch an explanation of the Badarak. We can spend hours moving from one teaching to another, always discovering something new. Our minds keep filling, but our hearts remain restless. Perhaps the problem is not that we need one more teaching. Perhaps we need to begin living w