Clergy Corner
Love
By Fr. Yeprem Kelegian

Love. What is it and what does it mean to you? To narrow it down, I asked a few teens in my parish what they thought I should write about. They weren’t much help because they brought up so many topics that I would need a few pages and a smarter guy than I to write about it. When I asked them, “What is the first thing(s) you think about when I say the word, ‘love,’” their responses included: family love; love of parents; sex; love of self; boy/girl relationships and where to “draw the line”; sex and dating; friendship; Christian love, and much more.
(Click here for more)

Words to Live By
These are my top ten favorite Bible verses on love, all of which are found in the New Testament and apply to our daily lives. Did you know the word love appears in the Bible 492 times? It does. Check it out!
   Matthew 22: 37-40
   Mark 12: 29-33
   Luke 6: 27-38
   John 13: 33-38
   John 15: 9-19
   Romans 12:9-21
   1 Corinthians 13: 1-13
   Ephesians 5:25-33
   1 John 4: 9-21
   1 John 5: 1-5

Did You Know?
Every year the Armenian Church honors St. Vartan the warrior and his companions. February is a month generally associated with remembrances of the famous Battle of Avarayr in 451, of the Armenian Christian soldier St. Vartan, and of those great men --such as the priest Ghevont -- who were at his side at one of Armenia's darkest hours. This year we remember St. Vartan the warrior and his companions on Thursday, February 23rd.

For more information, along with reflection questions and a Bible reading, click here.

You're Kidding
Enjoy these hilarious comments from kids about love and romance in honor of Valentine’s Day.
On what falling in love is like:
"Like an avalanche where you have to run for your life." (Roger, 9)
"If falling in love is anything like learning how to spell, I don't want to do it. It takes too long." (Leo, 7)
Concerning why love happens between two particular people:
"No one is sure why it happens, but I heard it has something to do with how you smell. That's why perfume and deodorant are so popular." (Jan, 9)
"You're supposed to get shot with an arrow, but the rest of it isn't supposed to be so painful." (Harlen, 8)
Concerning the origins of love:
"Cupid kissed God and that got the ball rollin'." (Julio, 9)
"One of the Greek lady gods got a crush on one of the Greek man gods. He tried to hit her with lightning and thunderbolts, but he just couldn't get her away from him ... After a while, they became the first married gods." (Robbie, 8)
Reflections on the nature of love:
"Love is the most important thing in the world, but baseball is pretty good too."
(Greg, 8)
How do people in love typically behave?
"Mooshy ... like puppy dogs ... except puppy dogs don't wag their tails nearly as much." (Arnold, 10)
"When a person gets kissed for the first time, they fall down and they don't get up for at least an hour." (Wendy, 8)
What is the proper age to get married?
"Eighty-four! Because at that age, you don't have to work anymore, and you can spend all your time loving each other." (Judy, 8)
"Once I'm done with kindergarten, I'm going to find me a wife!" (Tom, 5)
What do most people do on a date?
"On the first date, they just tell each other lies and that usually gets them interested enough to go for a second date." (Mike, 10)
How was kissing invented?
"I know one reason that kissing was created. It makes you feel warm all over, and they didn't always have electric heat or fireplaces or even stoves in their houses." (Gina, 8)
The great debate: is it better to be single or married?
"It's better for girls to be single but not for boys. Boys need somebody to clean up after them!" (Lynette, 9)
"It gives me a headache to think about that stuff. I'm just a kid. I don't need that kind of trouble." (Kenny, 7)
Concerning why lovers often hold hands:
"They want to make sure their rings don't fall off because they paid good money for them." (Dave, 8)
Opinions about love:
"Love will find you, even if you are trying to hide from it. I have been trying to hide from it since I was five, but the girls keep finding me." (Bobby, 8)
"I'm not rushing into being in love. I'm finding fourth grade hard enough." (Regina, 10)
"One of you should know how to write a check. Because, even if you have tons of love, there is still going to be a lot of bills." (Ava, 8)
What most people are thinking when they say "I love you":
"The person is thinking: Yeah, I really do love him. But I hope he showers at least once a day. (Michelle, 9)
How to make love endure:
"Spend most of your time loving instead of going to work." (Dick, 7)
"Don't forget your wife's name ... That will mess up the love." (Erin, 8)
"Be a good kisser. It might make your wife forget that you never take out the trash." (Dave, 8)
"Don't say you love somebody and then change your mind. Love isn't like picking what movie to watch." (Natalie, 9) Source: gagirl.com

Upcoming Events
February 26, Poon Paregentan Celebration hosted by the ACYOA Jrs. of Holy Trinity Armenian Church of Greater Boston
March 4, New Jersey ACYOA Jrs. Retreat hosted by St. Mary’s Armenian Church
in Livingston, NJ
March 10-12, ACYOA Srs. National Young Adult Leadership Conference in Stony Point, NY
March 17-19, ACYOA Jrs. New England Regional Retreat in NH
March 24-26, Watervliet ACYOA Jrs. Retreat
April 7-8, Detroit ACYOA Retreat and Lock-in hosted by St. John Armenian Church in Southfield, MI
May 26–29, Hye M’rtsoom Watertown, MA

St. Vartan Camp
June 27-July 1, Staff training
July 2-15, Session A
July 16-29, Session B
July 30-August 12, Session C

Hye Camp
July 30-August 5

St. Nersess Summer Conferences
June 13-17, Post-high school A
June 25–July 3, Deacon’s training
July 6–14, High school A
July 17–25, High school B
July 28–August 5, High school C
August 7–11, Junior high school
August 14–20, Post high school B

If you have an upcoming event you want posted in HYE-mail, e-mail me at: jenniferm@armeniandiocese.org.

Links
www.learnarmenian.com is a website to enhance your Armenian language skills. Most of the text is in Armenian.

www.stnersess.edu is a website devoted to the St. Nersess Armenian Seminary.

HYE-Mail -- 800 people and growing!

Welcome back to HYE-mail, a monthly e-newsletter of the ACYOA Juniors sent out to young Armenian Orthodox Christian teens throughout the Eastern Diocese to help keep you connected to the Armenian Church.

We began in December with just over 100 e-mail addresses and we now have close to 800 e-mail addresses in our database. Thank you for helping us continue to grow. If you know of anyone that might want to receive HYE-mail, let me know by e-mailing me at jenniferm@armenianidiocese.org.

Also, please feel free to contact me and share your thoughts and ideas for upcoming topics.

With love and Prayers,
Jenni Morris
Coordinator, Youth Outreach

JENNI'S JOURNAL

Believe it or not, January and February have been busy months for me. Most of my time has been spent on summer camp preparations. That’s right! It’s only February and we have already spent lots of time thinking about camp, and how to make it the best possible experience for all of the campers, CITs and staff.

Click here for more from Jenni, information on camp registration, and photos from her recent trips around the Diocese.

IN YOUR WORDS

Moses' Commission and Mine
By: Bethanie Mangigian

I usually don't take the time to read my Bible everyday. In general, it's easy for me to wait until church on Sunday to even crack open the Scripture. Despite the fact that I participate in a weekly Bible study and derive a good deal of satisfaction from doing so, I tend to pat myself on the back after each Tuesday night study and say, that's enough for the rest of the week. It's taken me some effort to try and break free from this attitude, and I'm still struggling to make the commitment to consistently read my Bible. However, in January I was given the opportunity to go to the Scripture in the context of something I love to do.

When I received the form for the Armenian letter art contest through HYE-mail, I knew that it was something I wanted to do. Art has always been an outlet for my creativity, and I have found peace in creating art, whether it be in the form of a woodprint or a watercolor. This contest was the opportunity I'd been waiting for: to connect with my faith in a meaningful way. The challenge to design an Armenian letter that incorporated both the Armenian faith and history was only daunting before I decided to go back to the Bible and put it into context.

Of the two letter choices, "Eh" and "Keh," I decided to choose "Eh." In Armenian, "Eh" means "He is." For those unfamiliar with this pure and powerful statement, its origin lies in Exodus 3:14, when God reveals Himself to Moses in the Burning Bush. This scene is referred to as the Commission of Moses because here God orders Moses to deliver the Israelites from the cruel tyranny of the Egyptians. Moses asks God if He has a name, so he can tell the Israelites who sent him, and God simply replies, "I am who I am. Say to them that 'I am has sent me to you' (Exodus, 3:14)." In this terse answer, God asserts His own existence completely. He then proceeds to confirm His power by turning Moses' rod into a snake, a sign that Moses employs multiple times after this commission.

This story in Exodus spoke to me, and as I read on, images began to take shape in my mind. I felt as if the tale of Moses' commission only further committed me to doing this contest. It was an artistic commission! My letter was not just some random Armenian flag and picture of St. Mesrob, it had a scriptural story that went along with it, and encompassed the most important tenet of our faith, our belief in One God, the Father Almighty. In a day and age when God's existence is so quickly contested, this Biblical story has become symbol of stability for me. It has encouraged me to search for other forgotten stories of the Bible, and I am now ready to dedicate more time towards strengthening my faith through the Scriptures.

Bethanie is in the eleventh grade and faithfully attends St. John Armenian Church in Southfield, MI. She is an active member of the ACYOA Juniors and dedicated Sunday School student. Her favorite part of the Badarak is the beautiful litanies. In her spare time, she is a jazz dancer and very involved in her school's theater program. Her other hobbies include collaging and lots of reading!

Do you have something to say? Are you willing to share your thoughts and ideas with your peers? I would love to have teens, like you, volunteer to share their thoughts and ideas. I am looking for short reflections, stories, vignettes, etc. to be published in next month's Hye-mail. E-mail me if you are interested jenniferm@armeniandiocese.org.

FAITH, FELLOWSHIP, FUN, AND FLORIDA!

Attention all high school and college age students in the southern Florida region: You are invited to participate in a St. Nersess Seminary Weekend on February 24-26 at the St. David Church of Boca Raton and the St. Mary Church of Hollywood. Young Armenians from others areas of the state of Florida are also welcome to join the seminary for this exciting weekend.

On Friday evening, February 24, there will be a barbecue and informal discussion for the St. David and St. Mary Sunday and Armenian School students. The Friday evening event will be hosted by the St. David Armenian Church.

On Saturday, February 25, a mini St. Nersess Conference will take place at the St. Mary Church.  It is open to all high school and college-age students. The theme is "Spring Break or Spring Broke." While meeting up with friends, having fun, and forming new friendships, the day's activities will look to answer the following questions:

Is there something broken in your life? If so, what are some of those broken areas that need attention and what does it take to fix what's broken? Could you be financially broke? Emotionally broke? Spiritually Broke? Relationship broke? Physically broke?

How do we repair what is broken? How do we put the pieces back together? How can we make things new again? Spend a weekend with St. Nersess, put God back in your life and together with the Armenian Church, you can find answers to these and other questions.

Participating in the weekend festivities will be the Fr. Daniel Findikyan, dean of St. Nersess, the St. Nersess Director of Youth and Vocations, Fr. Stepanos Doudoukjian and two St. Nersess alumni clergy, Fr. Nareg Berberian, Pastor of the St. David Armenian Church and Fr. Vartan Joulfayan, Pastor of the St. Mary Armenian Church.

For more information please call either of the two churches at 954-450-5578 or 561-994-2335 or you may also e-mail Fr. Stepanos Doudoukjian at vocations@stnersess.edu.

ART CONTEST UPDATE

Thanks to all of you who submitted artwork for our "Eh" and "Keh" art contest.  The pieces will be sorted by a panel of judges at the Diocesan Center, and winners will be announced in a couple of months.  Look to future editions of HYE-mail for updates.  All the artwork will be on display during this year's Diocesan Assembly in Fair Lawn, NJ.

For more information on the art contest or anything else in past HYE-mail newsletters, visit our HYE-mail archive, where you can find what you're looking for anytime!

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