Page 31 - THE ARMENIAN CHURCH_Neat

32 The Armenian Church

discovered. The Catholic, Eastern, and Ori-
ental Orthodox churches have special days in
their liturgical calendars for St. Gregory the
Illuminator, and the story of his life is part of
the hagiographic readings in many churches.
The conversion of Armenia to Chris-
tianity altered the destiny of the Armenian
people, putting Armenia on a new historical
track. The concrete implications of this land-
mark event can be clearly identified in the
ensuing history of the Armenian people and
the Armenian Church.

The Golden Age
St. Gregory the Illuminator is regarded
by the Armenian people as the 'illuminator
of the spirit' because of his leading role in
the Christianization of Armenia; Catholicos
Nerses the Great is regarded as the 'illumi-
nator of the heart' because of his major
role in meeting the social needs of people;
and Catholicos Sahak and Vartabed Mesrob
Mashdots are regarded as 'illuminators of
the mind' because of their pivotal role in
creating the Armenian alphabet.
After Armenia was partitioned (387) by
the Byzantine and Persian Empires, the part
controlled by the Persians became the or-
ganized and active center of Armenian life,
while that controlled by the Byzantines was
integrated into the texture of the empire. At