There’s power in a name. Most of us were named with intention. Maybe you carry the name of a beloved grandparent, a famous figure, or someone who shaped history. Names are powerful because they connect us to a legacy, to history, and to the stories of those who walked this earth before us. History is full of the names of famous and outstanding people. They were like bright stars shining in the sky, illuminating their time, their achievements, and their influence. But as brigh

When I was growing up, there were times when I wanted to do something just because all my friends were doing it. I’d go to my parents and plead my case: “But Mom, everyone else is doing it!” And you know what she’d say? “Everyone else isn’t my child. You are. Now act like it.” At the time, I thought that was the most unfair thing in the world! But now, looking back, I realize there was so much wisdom in those words. What she was really saying was, “You’re set apart. You’re di

When we ship something fragile, we make sure to mark the box clearly: FRAGILE — HANDLE WITH CARE. On the outside, it may look ordinary, just cardboard and tape, but the ones who packed it know what’s inside. They know it carries something valuable, something delicate, something worth protecting. That’s why they don’t take chances. In the same way, whether you realize it or not, you are walking through life with heaven’s label on you. God Himself has marked you: FRAGILE — HAND

Have you ever walked into a gym and seen someone pushing those weights, sweat pouring down, muscles trembling, face turning red? If you didn’t know better, you might think something was wrong. You might even think they were being punished. But we know better. They’re not being hurt, they’re getting stronger. Every repetition, every stretch, every moment of discomfort is shaping their body, building endurance, and making them stronger than they were before. In many ways, our s

On the first day of the year, an altar server decided to make a list of everything he would do for God. He wrote down every habit he needed to break, every ministry he planned to serve, and every way he could become a better servant. He brought that list to the church altar, expecting to feel joy. But instead, he felt empty inside. So he tried again. He went back home and added even more promises. He made his list longer and stronger. Then he placed it on the altar a second t

Today is the last day of the year. Standing on the threshold of a new beginning, we are naturally filled with mixed emotions. There is excitement for new opportunities, but if we are honest, there is also a quiet trembling of the heart. A whisper of fear. Fear of the unknown. Fear of what might happen next. The fear of uncertainty is a profoundly human experience. It’s the quiet voice that asks, “What’s going to happen next?” It’s the anxiety that keeps us awake at night with

Recently, I was visiting St. James Armenian Church in Watertown, MA, and one of the parishioners handed me a small gift, an Armenian spinning top. The moment I held it in my hand, I was instantly taken back to my childhood. When I was a child, one of our favorite games was spinning tops. We didn’t have many toys, but that little wooden top was more than enough. We could play with it for hours, winding the string carefully, holding our breath, and then pulling with all our str

“She gave birth to her firstborn son; and she wrapped Him in cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.” (Luke 2:7). The Son of God, the Savior of the world, was about to enter history. The long-awaited Messiah was arriving, and yet, when Mary and Joseph knocked on the innkeeper’s door, the answer was, “No room.” But that “no” didn’t stop God’s plan. That innkeeper’s refusal didn’t stop Jesus from being born. God’s purposes are going to b

On a crisp Christmas morning, a mother watched with joy as her six-year-old son eagerly unwrapped his gift. All he had asked for was a wheelbarrow, and there it was—bright red, shining under the glow of the Christmas tree. His eyes sparkled with excitement, lighting up the room brighter than any holiday sparkle. As she prepared Christmas dinner, her son disappeared with his prized gift. Hours passed, and panic gripped her. Searching the house and yard, she found no sign of hi

Back in 2015, while I was serving at Holy Virgin Mary and Shoghagat Armenian Church in Belleville, Illinois, we had a beautiful Christmas tradition that I will never forget. Every December, our parish community would visit retirement homes and assisted-living centers to sing Christmas carols. Many of those seniors lived with loneliness. Some were facing serious physical pain. Some could barely speak. Yet the moment the music began, faces softened, eyes filled with light, tear

Children and Christmas just seem to go together, don’t they? There’s something about their wonder, their excitement, the way their eyes light up, that reminds us what faith is supposed to feel like. Jesus once said, “Whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will never enter it” (Mark 10:15). He wasn’t talking about age. He was talking about attitude. Children don’t analyze God; they just trust Him. They don’t worry if the plan looks uncertain; they hold o

Have you ever noticed how many fences there are: wire fences, wooden fences, boundary markers that define limits and control movement? They quietly tell us, “You can go this far, but no farther.” And then, almost without effort, a bird flies overhead. That bird doesn’t slow down. It doesn’t circle back. It doesn’t even notice the fences below. It keeps soaring, free and unbothered. Why? Because the fences were never meant for the bird. They were built for those who walk on th

The relic of Noah’s Ark in the Cathedral Museum of Holy Etchmiadzin Today, we commemorate St. James of Nisibis, one of the most cherished saints in the Armenian Church. He is known for his divine vision on Mount Ararat. The story goes that while he was preaching near Nisibis, he encountered people who doubted the story of Noah’s Ark. Instead of being discouraged, St. James made a bold decision. He set out on a journey to Mount Ararat, determined to find evidence of the ark. D

The other day, I stepped outside, bundled in my warm winter coat, ready for the cold. As I walked through the city, I saw others doing the same: heavy coats, scarves, gloves, layer after layer. It was a cold and windy day, but nobody looked worried. Nobody was panicking because they were prepared. They had what they needed to handle the weather. It struck me that the difference between shivering in fear and walking with confidence isn’t the weather, it’s what you’re wearing.

In the ancient world, there was a deep, rich crimson dye made from a tiny red insect found on the Araratian plains and along the Arax River. This Armenian cochineal was so powerful, so intense, that once it touched wool, it could never be washed out. You could soak it, scrub it, expose it to sun and weather, nothing could erase it. The stain became part of the fabric itself. Even today, after centuries have passed, archaeologists still uncover textiles, khachkars, and ancient

People sometimes ask me, “Srpazan, why don’t you use a case for your phone?” I usually smile and say, “Because I like to live dangerously!” But in truth, it always makes me think how careful we are with the things we buy. We cover our phones, we buy screen protectors, insurance plans, and we clean the fingerprints off the screen. Some people won’t even set their phone down without a soft cloth underneath! We’re so protective of the things that can be replaced… yet how careful

A puzzle piece on its own doesn’t look like much. It’s incomplete, odd-shaped, maybe even a little confusing. If you judge it on its own, it doesn’t make sense. But when you place it in the bigger picture, when you connect it to the pieces around it, suddenly it fits perfectly. Suddenly, what looked random becomes meaningful. What seemed insignificant becomes essential. That’s how our lives work in God’s hands. The Scripture says, “God has placed the parts in the body, every

In 2002, during my last year at the Etchmiadzin Seminary, I had a disagreement with the deputy dean. It wasn’t just a small misunderstanding—it was serious. He was trying to expel me. In my mind, everything I had worked for was slipping away. I had given my heart to serving God, yet here I was, facing a battle I didn’t know how to fight. One day, after a tough conversation with him, I went to a friend’s room, simply needing to speak, to breathe, to make sense of what was happ

Preparing sandwiches for shelters in Massachusetts A famous American psychiatrist, Karl Menninger, was once asked what he would tell a person who felt like they were on the edge of a breakdown. People expected him to say, “Go find a doctor. Take care of yourself. Take this or that medication.” But his answer was surprising: “Lock up your house, cross the tracks, find someone in need, and help that person.” Modern science has proven that when we help people, and they thank us

In almost every home, there is a thermostat and a thermometer. Though they may sit on the same wall, they serve very different purposes. A thermometer only reflects the temperature around it. If the room is cold, it registers cold. If the room is warm, it registers warm. It simply mirrors whatever atmosphere it is placed in. A thermostat, however, does something far more active. It sets the temperature. It shapes the atmosphere. It brings the environment into alignment with t