By Suzanne Ourfalian Shera
How well do you understand the Badarak [Divine Liturgy]? Would you like to grow deeper in knowledge? Are there sections that seem unclear to you?
Two years ago, I found myself at St. Sahag and St. Mesrop [Armenian Apostolic Church in Wynnewood, PA] with a hunger for the faith of my Armenian heritage. I was grateful for the books in the pews so I can follow along and enjoy the beauty of the words.
My appetite was further satiated by the online Badarak Course taught by Jesse Siragan Arlen from the Zohrab Information Center (https://zohrabcenter.org/), which met weekly from last fall until June 2026. It was attended by many parishioners, lay church leaders, scholars, with various levels of knowledge. People with different nationalities living in seventeen countries were represented, as far as China and Australia. In addition to Oriental Orthodoxy (Armenian Apostolic), the attendants belonged to many denominations such as Eastern Orthodoxy, Roman Catholic, and Protestant.
The course offered important ingredients that nourished my mind and soul. Jesse often began the class with basic grammar lessons for those untrained in Classical Armenian. He then asked a core group of the attendants, including a few non-Armenians, to read and translate each sentence. Jesse along with a few experienced scholars commented on the interpretations, and corrected them as needed. Jesse also explained the roots of difficult Krapar [Classical Armenian] words and clarified the scriptural and theological backgrounds of different parts of the liturgy.
The gathered believers appreciated the beauty of the Badarak, designed to illuminate our soul, and bring us closer to God. As we immersed in this shared journey of exploring the divine liturgy, we were very thankful for a deeper understanding of each other as well. As we trusted each other, we were able to discuss our differences openly and express some concerns. For example, Armenian participants pondered over the poor attendance during the first half hour of the Badarak, when foundational truths are shared about our Christian faith, initial blessings are performed, and the Holy Scriptures are read. We needed to pray about this challenge.
