In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
Today, we are going to start a new tradition here at Holy Trinity on this 4th Sunday of Lent. We are going to look at the life of one saintly woman from the Armenian tradition. The Armenian Church has celebrated feast days of saints for at least 1,000 years or so. It is a tradition that honors those who tried to live out their Christian faith in the face of great challenges.
Today, we are going to look at one of the giants of the Christian faith. She was a humble nun. She was the Mother Superior of a group of thirty-five nuns. We have a stained glass window of her here in our church. Her name is Gayane. Her story has been handed down through the generations. Her faith was unshakeable and she stands today as a pillar of the Christian faith and a champion of everything Jesus Christ said and taught.
Looking at the life of saints, we notice a strong sense of “holiness” that everyone can obtain—the rich and poor, soldiers and peacemakers, shut-ins and public servants, adults and children and even scholars and those who never learned how to read or write.
Over the centuries, saints have played an important role in the life of the Armenian people and church. During the calendar year, specific saints are honored on special days that we call feast days. Saints are people who stood out as a “light” in times of darkness. They are the role models of the Christian Church and defenders of the faith.
Today, we will celebrate Saint Gayane.
Amen.