GREAT TUESDAY CELEBRATED AT SAINT GREGORY CHURCH

STUDENTS OF SAINT GREGORY SUNDAY/ ARMENIAN SCHOOL PARTICIPATE

April 4, 2023 - Rev. Fr. Stephan Baljian, pastor, flanked by Deacons Avedis Garavanian and John Saryan; Front row (l to r) Lenna Goulart, Scarlett Chobanian, Ani Chobanian, Alina Jeknavorian, Lucy Goulart, Camille Balekian

     On Tuesday, April 4, six students from Saint Gregory Church Sunday/Armenian School participated in the evening service for the Remembrance of the Parable of the Ten Bridesmaids, which is commemorated every year on "Great Tuesday," falling during Great or Holy Week.
    Dressed in robes and veils and holding lit votive candles, these six young girls mystically portrayed the individual members of the Holy Church (that's all of us) who are called to have a deep reserve of faith, hope and love and to be wakeful and ready for the awesome and glorious second coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. 
    The parable Jesus tells, found at the beginning of Chapter 25 of the Gospel of Matthew, relays that the Church is like a bride waiting for the arrival of her bridegroom, Jesus Christ. In the parable, five of the bridesmaids (the individual believers) were wise and brought extra oil for their lamps in case the bridegroom was late in arriving. The other five were foolish and didn't pack any extra oil to light their lanterns. When the bridegroom was delayed, the lamps of foolish bridesmaids ran out of oil and went to the nearby towns to buy more, the bridegroom arrived with his entourage and brought everyone into the wedding celebration. The foolish bridesmaids were locked out and were deprived of the joy and feasting of the wedding.
     The lesson of the parable is for each and every Christian believer to be prepared for the second coming of Christ, with the lit lanterns symbolizing true faith in the Holy Trinity fueled by the fervor of doing good in this world for the glory of God's name.
      We congratulate these young ladies and their families for their participation.​