The

The Sunrise Service

By Rev. Dr. Zaven Arzoumanian

Introduction

The Sunrise Service is one of the seven services found in the Armenian Church breviary (Jamagirk): Kisherayin (Midnight), Aravodyan (Morning), Arevakal (Sunrise), one unit; Jashou Service at noon, and Yeregoyan (Evening), Khaghaghagan and Hanksdyan services (peace and rest). The last two are specifically for Lenten season.

The Sunrise Service is performed traditionally on Wednesday and Friday mornings for six consecutive weeks during Lent. For convenience, here in this country, we sing it on Sundays before the Badarak. By virtue of its message the Sunrise Service is performed during Lent, the message being Jesus, the Light to the World, versus the sinful darkness of the world. However, the traditional title of the service prescribes that the Sunrise Service is addressed to the Holy Spirit in view of the Resurrection of Christ who appeared to the disciples.

History

The first mention of the Sunrise Service in the history of the Armenian Church is made by Catholicos John of Otzoon, the Patriarch of the Armenian Church during the 8th century, who reports that one of his immediate predecessors, Catholicos Ezr of Paraznakert had initiated the Sunrise Service during the 7th century. In its present structure and form, however, this service is obviously the composition of St. Nerses Shnorhali, the talented Catholicos of the Armenians who lived in the 12th century and enriched both the hymnal and the breviary of the Armenian Church most elaborately.

To render the history of the Sunrise Service more complete, we may look into the causes which brought about its formation and its canonization. In my opinion, St. Nerses Shnorhali reacted to the activities of a certain sect, known as the Arevordik (Sons of the Sun), who claimed to be Christians, but who emphasized sun worship. They were the remnants of the early medieval Paulician and Tontrakian sects and were not in communion either with the Armenian or the Byzantine Orthodox churches, basically because they rejected the sacraments of the church, the priestly orders, and the apostolic succession.

Nerses Shnorhali, in fact, has included in his famous "Untanrakan" (Collection of Encyclicals) the possibility of the conversion of the Arevordik. My opinion holds ground even more when we consider the fact that a group from this particular sect had requested Catholicos Nerses Shnorhali to receive them back into his flock. Subsequently, besides formulating conditions and devices for the lapsed to return canonically to the faith of the Armenian Church, St. Nerses composed this beautiful Sunrise Service and then provided it with inspiring music as a substitute, as a positive compromise, to win over those who had gone astray. He simply juxtaposed the Son of God Jesus and the sun of the universe and underlined the shining of the intelligent light, above and beyond the physical light of the sun, in a deeply spiritual perspective.

 

What is the central theme of this service?

It is exclusively the light. The word looys (light) occurs in the Sunrise Service 32 times, of which seventeen alone are part of the distinctive hymn which begins with Looys, Ararich looso, arachin Looys (Light, Creator of light, primal light). As an introduction the sunrise is proclaimed, which is the creation of the Creator. The background of the service being the physical light of the sun which shines both on the righteous and the sinners and which makes manifest the deeds of men, good and evil alike, the essence of the Sunrise Service is the shining of the divine light through the three Persons of the Holy Trinity. This divine light is identified by St. Nerses Shnorhali as the "intelligible light" which becomes brighter and more meaningful to us on earth through the intercession of the saints.

Whereas the transitional theme of this service is found in the prayers addressed to the saints, the conclusive theme is a direction toward the way (janabarh), the Truth and Life. For a change, this is the only service where we do not find a dichotomy of the two opposing forces: light and darkness; sinfulness and righteousness. There is only one use of the word khavar (darkness) and one use of the word meghk (sin), a case which makes the Sunrise Service the more pleasant, positive and sustaining service.

The intelligible light is its central theme, which is at the same time the light of God, above and beyond the sunlight, both of which however make manifest our daily lives and our deeds, leaving behind no room for darkness, except if darkness becomes our choice. The central theme of the intelligible light is preceded by the profession of the doctrine of the Holy Trinity and by the intercession of saints, and finally is concluded in the finding of the true way.

 

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