The sixth day of the Armenian Lacrosse and Daily Bible Readings journey brought Coach Johnny Mouradian to Saint Mesrop Mashtots Church in Oshakan, the final resting place of the man whose creation of the Armenian alphabet forever changed the nation’s history.
Few places in Armenia better illustrate the relationship between faith and learning. In the early fifth century, Saint Mesrop Mashtots developed the Armenian alphabet so the Scriptures could be translated into the language of the Armenian people. His work made it possible for generations to read, understand, and preserve God’s Word in their own tongue, laying the foundation for Armenian literature, education, and national identity.
Standing at the church built over Mashtots’ tomb, Coach Mouradian reflected on Jesus’ teaching from John 15.
“I am the true vine, and my Father is the vine dresser. Every branch in me that does not bear fruit, he prunes. The one that bears fruit, he cleans, so that it may bear even more fruit.”
Jesus continues:
“Abide in me, and I in you. Just as the branch cannot bear fruit by itself unless it remains on the vine, neither can you unless you remain in me. I am the vine, and you are the branches. The one who remains in me, and I in him, bears much fruit, because apart from me, you can do nothing.” (John 15:1-5)
The image is both simple and profound.
A branch does not survive through its own strength. It draws life from the vine to which it is connected. Once separated, it withers.
Jesus uses that image to describe the Christian life. Faith is not sustained through occasional moments of inspiration. It grows through an ongoing relationship with Christ. Prayer, worship, Scripture, and fellowship are the means by which believers remain connected to the source of spiritual life.
That message carries particular meaning in Oshakan.
Saint Mesrop Mashtots understood that for faith to flourish, people needed access to God’s Word. By giving Armenians an alphabet, he gave them the ability to read the Bible, preserve their Christian tradition, and pass both language and faith from one generation to the next.
More than sixteen centuries later, pilgrims continue to visit his resting place not simply to honor a scholar, but to remember the enduring connection between Scripture, education, and the life of the Church.
The lesson from John 15 echoes that same truth.
Fruit is never the beginning of the story. It is the result of remaining rooted.
Throughout Armenia’s history, that steadfastness has allowed the nation to preserve its Christian identity through conquest, persecution, displacement, and hardship. Churches, monasteries, manuscripts, and schools all point back to the same foundation: a people who chose to remain connected to their faith despite the challenges around them.
As the Armenian Lacrosse and Daily Bible Readings journey continues, each destination reveals another chapter in that story. At Oshakan, the message is one of perseverance, growth, and the quiet strength that comes from remaining rooted in Christ.
Coach Mouradian closed the day’s reflection with the invitation that has accompanied each stop along the journey:
“Bring a friend to church. Bring a family member to church this Sunday. Join the movement.”
Tomorrow, the road trip continues to Vayk Stadium, where the journey will bring Scripture into the world of sport, community, and the next generation of Armenian athletes.
