July 19, 2026
Dn. Charles Cherezian
A homily exploring why Christians struggle to forgive themselves after God has already forgiven them. Drawing on Scripture (1 John, Isaiah, Ephesians, Psalm 103) and Armenian Church fathers (St. Gregory of Narek and St. Nerses Shnorhali), the preacher emphasizes that repentance is not merely looking backward but allowing God to transform us, and that holding onto past sins contradicts God's promise to remove them 'as far as the east is from the west.'
1 John 1:9; Isaiah 43:25; Ephesians 4:32; Psalm 103:12
April 26, 2026
Unknown preacher
On Red Sunday, the preacher reflects on Christ's words about resurrection and condemnation from John 5, explaining that resurrection awaits all but the question is whether we are raised to life or condemnation. Using a child's question about paradise and hell, he describes paradise as the peace of belonging to God and hell as the eternal awareness of being unworthy of that peace. He connects this to the Armenian Genocide martyrs, remembered as saints rather than victims, calling the faithful to emulate their willingness to sacrifice everything for the kingdom and to live lives of continual repentance and return to Christ.
John 5:19-29
March 1, 2026
Unknown preacher
On the Sunday of the Prodigal Son during Lent, the preacher delivers a children's homily retelling Jesus' parable of the prodigal son, emphasizing themes of greed, wastefulness, repentance, confession, and the father's unconditional forgiveness. The preacher then addresses the adults in Armenian, drawing on St. Paul's letter to the Corinthians to stress that this very moment is the day of salvation, and concludes in English by urging the congregation to humble themselves and turn to God, whose forgiveness is always at hand.
Luke 15:11-32; 2 Corinthians 6:2
December 21, 2025
Unknown preacher
The preacher reflects on Luke 18:9-14, the parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector, warning that pride can nullify even our God-pleasing works. He encourages cultivating humility through prayer for those we might consider beneath us. He then recounts the story of St. Abgar the King of Edessa, the first Christian king, who humbled himself before Christ by writing a letter seeking healing, and connects Abgar's humility to the Gospel's call that those who humble themselves will be exalted.
Luke 18:9-14
November 30, 2025
Unidentified parish priest (St. John Armenian Church, San Francisco)
On the Thanksgiving weekend, the preacher reflects on God as a God of second chances, using the parable of the barren fig tree from Luke 13. He shares a personal family story about disciplining children to illustrate how love requires eventual consequences, then connects this to God's patience with humanity. Christ, the merciful gardener, offers His own body and blood as nourishment (compost) so that we — the fig tree — can bear the fruit of repentance. The preacher warns that God's chances, while many, are finite, and encourages the faithful to use the gift of confession to change before time runs out.
Luke 13:1-9; John 1:1-14
October 26, 2025
Unidentified priest (likely parish pastor)
The preacher delivers a bilingual homily. In Armenian, he reflects on St. Paul's first letter to the Corinthians, noting that the world's wisdom cannot comprehend the preaching of the crucified Christ, and that believers may feel 'foolish' in the eyes of the world—a reality that has persisted for two thousand years. In English, he expounds on Christ's eschatological teaching in Matthew's Gospel about the second coming, emphasizing the Armenian Church's profession of awaiting Christ's return from cradle to grave (including burial practices that reject cremation). Using the parable of the fig tree, he encourages the faithful to live fully in the present season of spiritual preparation—through sacraments, scripture, relationships, and repentance—trusting that God will bring fruitfulness in His time.
1 Corinthians 1; Matthew 24
July 27, 2025
Parish priest (name not specified in transcript)
On the Feast of the Transfiguration (Vardavar), the preacher delivers a bilingual homily exploring the events leading up to the Transfiguration on Mount Tabor. Beginning with Peter's confession of Christ as the Son of God and Jesus's declaration that upon this faith he will build his church, the sermon examines Peter's subsequent rejection of Christ's prediction of his crucifixion and Jesus's sharp rebuke — "Get behind me, Satan." The preacher explains that Jesus was not rejecting Peter himself but the doubt and evil in his heart, drawing a pastoral lesson: we must love the person while rejecting the sin within them. The Transfiguration, six days later, is presented as Christ revealing his divine light to strengthen his disciples for the difficult path ahead, and as a continuing revelation to all believers that the same divine light dwells within us, sustaining us through our own struggles and doubts.
Matthew 17:1-9; Matthew 16:13-20; Matthew 16:21-23; John (referenced regarding light)
July 6, 2025
Der Hayr (unidentified parish priest, St. John's)
The preacher delivers a bilingual homily on the Gospel reading from Matthew, where Jesus is challenged by opponents demanding a sign. In Armenian, he explains that people seek signs from God during difficulties, but Jesus rebukes this demand and offers only the sign of Jonah—prefiguring his resurrection. In English, he illustrates the point with a family analogy about his son Sion and fireworks, drawing a parallel between parental love that asks for trust without full understanding and Christ's call to faith without constant signs. Christ rebukes the wicked generation that demands signs, offering only the sign of Jonah (three days in the whale) as the sole sign needed: the resurrection.
Matthew 12:38-40