PRAYING with the Armenian Orthodox Church: a book review

Vahe H Apelian

 I attended a zoom bible study sponsored by the Eastern Prelacy. The bible study was ably conducted by archdeacon Shant Kazanjian and lasted over several weeks. I attended from May 17 to June 14, (2023). Once a week, we came together online. During one of the periods of the study that had to do with the Sermon of the Mount, archdeacon Shant said that Armenians have prayers round the clock and mentioned a book he had translated. I purchased a copy of the book from the prelacy’s bookstore.

It is a small book, measuring 4.5 x 7 inches (the standard letter size page is 8.5x11 inches), and is 100 pages long. The book contains many pictures of Armenian manuscript illustrations and is printed on a glossy quality paper in an easily readable font size. The book was published in 2019 by the order of the prelate Archbiship Anoushavan Tanielian, and was sponsored by Der Nerses Manougian Publication Fund, in memory of his spiritual father, His Eminence Archbishop Mesrob Ashjian of Blessed Memory. Indeed so, Archbishop Mesrob Ashjian taught me religion in Sourp Nshan Armenian School in Beirut, Lebanon when he was a monk. His sister Hripsime was my classmate. Years later, I worked with the archbishop when he was the prelate of Eastern Prelacy and also headed Land and Culture Organization based in France. The next time I am in Armenia, the town Mughni will definitely be on my itinerary to visit his statue. 

Archdeacon Shant Kazanjian notes in the preface that the contents of the book “Praying with the Armenian Orthodox Church” are “from the Book of Hours (Zhamakirk), of the Armenian Apostolic Church, the book contains the daily cycle of public worship services.”  The prayers are  presented “in the order of the daily cycle of service as found in the Book of Hours (Zhamakirk).” Furthermore, he notes that “these prayers will serve as a great resource for personal prayer.”

Along with his translation, archdeacon Shant’s contribution has been the biblical references. He wrote in the preface: “The prayers from the Book of Hours (Zhamakirk) is replete with biblical quotations, and allusions to certain episodes. And I have tried to show this by adding biblical references to the prayer (certainly not exhaustive.”

Tհe content of the book, as I noted earlier, is the daily cycle of prayers and is listed as follows:

Prayers from the Night Hour (Kisherayin Zham)

Prayers from the Morning Hour (Aravodyan Zham)

Prayers from the Sunrise Hour (Arevakali Zham)

Prayers from Mdday Hour (Jashoo Zham)

Third Hour ((9:00 am)

Sixth Hour (Noon)

Ninth Hour (3:00 pm)

Prayers from the Evening Hour (Yeregoyan Zham)

Prayers from the Peace Hour (Khaghaghagan Zham)

Prayers from the Rest Hour (Hankisdyan Zham)

“Praying with the Armenian Orthodox Church” book naturally is not a book one reads in one breath as a short story or a novel. I have not read the listed prayers one by one. But I looked through them and I remained under the impression that two prayers that we recited at one time in school were not included. I emailed archdeacon Shant asking whether these two prayers were not listed in Book of Hours (Zhamakirk) . He responded to my email and noted that the "the task at our hands" (Զգործս ձեռաց մերոց) prayer is in fact a biblical passage, Psalm 90:17. The other,  "Let's in peace eat this meal" (Ճաշակեսցուք խաղաղութեամբ) is not in the Book of Hours (Zhamakirk), but there is a special "Blessing of the Table" ceremony in the calendar and is found on paged 76-79. 

“Ի՞նչ մեղքս պահեմ” - “why should I keep it (having sinned) a secret?” - as the Armenian saying goes - I did not know about Book of Hours (Zhamakirk).   After ending my Armenian studies so many years ago, more likely than not, I would not have learned that there is a book called Book of Hours (Zhamakirk), had I not joined archdeacon Shant Kazanjian’s bible study. The book now can be read in English. In the preface he wrote: “numerous saints and sinners throughout the centuries have prayed and heard these prayers being the officially authorized public prayers of the Armenian Church. Some of the prayers in the Book of Hours go as far back as the fifth century AD, attributed to St. Sahag and Mesrob and Hovnan Mantagouni. “

The book may be purchased from the Eastern Prelacy’s bookstore. It retails for $10.00, excluding the shipping coast. It is a worthwhile discretionary spending, if not for anything else, then just for the convenience of having it in easy reach at home for leisurely reading.