On the occasion of the 850th anniversary of the death of Armenian Patriarch and prolific author St. Nerses Shnorhali (the Gracious), the Mekhitarist Congregation has organized two concerts in Venice. The first one will take place on St. Giorgio Maggiore Island on September 9 and the second one will be performed on September 10 at St. Mark’s Basilica, where the Saghmosergu Choir from Armenia, conducted by Vahe Begoyan, will interpret songs composed by the great saint.
The multitalented Patriarch, intellectual, poet, and theologian, St. Nerses Shnorhali, with the enormous body of work and spiritual teachings he has bequeathed, not only enriched Armenian religious life but he was also one of the leaders who shaped the Armenian identity. His “In Faith I confess,” a book of prayers composed of 24 verses—one for each hour of the day—can be considered one of the masterpieces of universal religious literature and has been translated into 36 languages.
It is not only the legacy of a prolific life, as well as the varied and brilliant works, that have kept the memory of Shnorhali alive almost nine centuries after his death, and not only for Armenians, but for all people alike.
Rev. Fr. Serop Jamourlian stresses his extraordinary relevance today.
“Shnorhali is a key to open to a world of ideals that must guide us today,” said Fr. Serop, of the Mekhitarist Congregation. “The way you live and the way you think, you will come face to face with justice and truth at the end of your life, and you will receive the just and fair reward for it.”
Both in Armenia and the Diaspora, the name of Shnorhali is known to Armenians, who in school days had made their vows with the “Morning of Light” hymn penned by the saint:
“Morning of light,
Just sun,
Make your light dawn on me.”
The genius of Shnorhali has taken a central place in the life of the Mekhitarist Congregation from the very first days. According to oral tradition, the Congregation founder, Fr. Abbot Mekhitar, asked every novice to say Shnorali’s prayer before going to bed:
“Look with love, Father of compassion,
upon the work of your hands
and give us the goblet of the angels
as guardian for us in our weakness.
Save our souls from the temptation
of the demons swarming in the darkness
so that day and night
we might give you unceasing praise.”
The Mekhitarist fathers’ respect and love for the Patriarch is also reflected in the architecture of the Mekhitarist Monastery. Thus, the vault of the Church of St. Lazarus in Venice is presided by the image of St. Nerses along with St. Grigor Narekatsi, the other outstanding saint of the Armenian Church.
One of the distinguishing features of Shnorhali was his effort to reach out to everybody. He was the first Catholicos to write a universal message known as the Encyclical Letter addressed to the community at large. He writes to the people and wants to spread the word of God. He has even written verses and riddles for children. His spirit, which the Armenian Church still practices in the fraternal love that guides its relations with the sister churches, is summed up in his exhortation that remains current today: “Unity in what matters, freedom in what is secondary, and love in everything.”
