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PRESS RELEASE
Eastern Prelacy of the Armenian Apost. Church of America and Canada
H.E. Archbishop Oshagan Choloyan
Prelate, Easter Prelacy and Canada
138 East 39th Street
New York, NY 10016
Tel: 212-689-7810
Fax: 212-689-7168
Web: http://www.armenianprelacy.org/
January 4, 2012
Special Christmas and New Year issue
Baptism of Christ, from a 1330 Gospel from the
Armenian Cathedral and Museum, New Julfa, Isfahan (Iran)
VIDEO: A CHRISTMAS AND NEW YEAR MESSAGE FROM
ARCHBISHOP OSHAGAN CHOLOYAN
Glory to Your Revelation, Lord
During these joyful holidays, the greatest commemoration is Gods
revelation to humankind through the birth of our Lord and Savior,
Jesus Christ. Gods love with His perfection and warmth brought us
closer to God; God visited us so His pure and graceful love would
become contagious and spread to those who are human beings like us. We
no longer ask, Who is my neighbor? (Luke 19:29); the revelation of
Jesus, our God, once and for all established the commandment that we
must express our love of God by loving our neighbor.
Gods revelation was the greatest news the world received since the
creation up to the birth of Jesus. It was greater than any discovery
or invention by humans, incomparable and even unfathomable to the
human mind and comprehension. Currently in our everyday lives we enjoy
using new inventions and concepts that are introduced. The true
Christian regards these to be the manifestation of the creative spirit
given to them by God; the same strength with which God created the
universe and humans. He gave to us His grace enabling us to continue
his creation in this world. All wisdom and power belong to Him. God
gave that power to humans so that on the eighth day of creation humans
should make worthy the grace and power that belong to God and which
weave the glory of God. It is with this understanding that we must
look at our own creation in the likeness of God (Genesis 1:26). We
must praise God; give Him our thanks for His boundl!
ess creative power and for his good grace.
On the occasion of the birth and revelation of Christ, when the
celebrations bring spiritual joy to all of us, it is necessary to
reflect on what God gave us with His revelation. Was it an ordinary
visit that ended with His ascension, or a new way of life that is an
inseparable part of our nature, from our birth until our unification
with Him in the Kingdom prepared for Christians?
First, God revealed to us His love. The Apostle John very clearly
defines Gods nature when he says, God is love, (1 John 4:8). That is
the embodiment of Supreme Power. God was incarnated so that Christians
would be like Him and find the way and the secret that leads to the
road to humanitys deification. We will find that road when we honor
that commandmentthe first and greatestthat Christ reminded us of: Love
your Lord God with all your heart and soul, with all your mind, all
your power (Mark 12:30-31). The second command is a continuation: Love
your neighbor as yourself. Only then will we be filled with the grace
that will make us God-like.
Second, Gods revelation to humankind is a reminder of the freedom He
gave to us. It is a freedom that raises humans above mere mechanical
created beings, and who are able to recognize and select that which
leads to the road worthy of salvation. Freedom is not anarchy, but
rather it is that condition when by respecting others we can cleanse
our souls, especially by remaining free of the chains of sin, and the
threat of the death of the soul. The first man, Adam, was unable to
utilize this freedom in its proper manner. The opposite of freedom is
disobedience to Gods will. Freedoms reward is eternal life, while the
wages of disobedience and sinfulness is death (Romans 6:23). Christ
was revealed to give us life, abundant life (John 10:10).
Third, trust in Gods intervention and role in our lives. Humility and
modesty are expected virtues of Christians and prods us to attribute
all our discoveries and inventions to Gods wisdomHis image that is
within us. Otherwise, arrogance and boasting distance us from that
feeling of modesty, and instead of recognizing God as the source of
our grace, talent and ability, we attribute our accomplishments solely
to ourselves, only to our skill and ability, and our material brain.
Self-confidence in human ability, and modern-day humanism and
secularism, have greatly distanced us from God. They have removed us
from the spiritual inner world of faith. Creating new idols on stages
and screens, turn us bankrupt of moral and family values and holiness.
As Christians we cannot perceive the world, and its new inventions,
without recognizing Gods will and power. As Christians we cannot
attribute purely to our own ability the things we cr!
eate, invent, and discover, since for Christians the source of
everything is God Himself. The revelation of Christ reminds us of Gods
eternal presence, accomplishment, and ability. Christians cannot
forget that they bear the image of God that was given to them when God
formed man of dust from the ground, and gave His breath of life,
creating a living being, a creative being (Genesis 2:7).
On the occasion of the great holy day of Gods revelation, let us
praise our Lords graceful visitationHis revelation from the modest
manger. May His grace spread into our homes so that we will be
strengthened in His love, emancipated from sin, and be worthy of our
freedom.
Christ is Born and Revealed.
Glory to Your Revelation, Lord
ARCHBISHOP OSHAGAN
Prelate
Armenian Apostolic Church of America
Eastern Prelacy
Holy Nativity 2012
To read the Prelates message in Armenian click here (
http://e2ma.net/go/11558197256/4130949/112755610/24882/goto:http://armenianprelacy.org/index.php/news/press-releases/203-pr120711a
).
PRELATES CHRISTMAS SCHEDULE
Christmas Eve, January 5, His Eminence Archbishop Oshagan will preside
over the Bible readings and the Christmas Eve Liturgy at St. Sarkis
Church in Douglaston, New York. Rev. Fr. Nareg Teterian, pastor of
St. Sarkis will celebrate the Divine Liturgy.
Christmas Day, January 6, His Eminence will celebrate the Divine
Liturgy, deliver the sermon, and officiate over the Blessing of the
Water service at St. Illuminators Cathedral, New York
City. Rev. Fr. Mesrob Lakissian, pastor of the Cathedral, will assist
the Prelate at the altar.
VICARS CHRISTMAS SCHEDULE
Christmas Day, January 6, His Grace will celebrate the Divine Liturgy,
deliver the sermon, and officiate over the Blessing of Water service
at St. Sarkis Church, Douglaston, New York. Rev. Fr. Nareg Terterian,
pastor of St. Sarkis, will assist the Vicar at the altar.
Following the service Bishop Anoushavan will visit the Armenian Home
in Flushing, New York, to convey the Good News and join the residents
at their Christmas dinner.
JANUARY 7 IS MEMORIAL DAY
As is the custom in the Armenian Church, the day after each of the
five great tabernacle feasts is a Memorial Day. Each is preceded by a
week-long fast (longer for Easter) and followed by a day of
remembrance of the dead. Traditionally, the Divine Liturgy is
celebrated on Memorial Days, and afterwards the faithful go to the
cemetery to venerate their loved ones and have the graves blessed by
the priest.
The Feasts of Easter, Transfiguration, Assumption, and Exaltation of
the Cross are on Sundays and their memorial days are on
Mondays. Christmas is on the fixed date of January 6, and therefore
Memorial Day can fall on any day. This year it is on a Saturday.
BIBLE READING
The 2012 Liturgical Calendar and Daily Bible Readings according to the
Typicon of the Armenian Apostolic Church are now available on the
Prelacy web site (www.armenianprelacy.com).
Bible reading for Friday, January 6, Christmas and Epiphany, are:
Titus 2:1-15; Matthew 1:18-25; 1 Corinthians 10:1-4; Matthew 3:1-17.
Now the birth of Jesus the Messiah took place in this way. When his
mother Mary had been engaged to Joseph, but before they lived
together, she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. Her
husband Joseph, being a righteous man and unwilling to expose her to
public disgrace, planned to dismiss her quietly. But just when he had
resolved to do this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream
and said, Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your
wife, for the child conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will
bear a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people
from their sins. All this took place to fulfill what had been spoken
by the Lord through the prophet: Look, the virgin shall conceive and
bear a son, and they shall name him Emmanuel, which means, God is with
us. When Joseph awoke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord
commanded him; he took her as his wife, but had no marital relations
with her until !
she had borne a son; and he named him Jesus. (Matthew 1:18-25).
For a listing of the coming weeks Bible readings click here (
http://e2ma.net/go/11558197256/4130949/112755611/24882/goto:http://www.armenianprelacy.org/images/prelacy/PDF/2012dbr-01.pdf
).
On the occasion of the Holy Nativity and Epiphany we wish everyone a
blessed New Year.
May your homes be filled with the Light of our Lord.
Khrisdos dzunav yev haydnetsav.
Orhnyal e haydnoutyounun Krisdosi.
Christ was Born and Revealed.
Blessed is the Revelation of Christ.
Web pages of the parishes can be accessed through the Prelacys web
site.
To ensure the timely arrival of Crossroads in your electronic mailbox,
add [email protected] (mailto:[email protected]) to
your address book.
Items in Crossroads can be reproduced without permission. Please
credit Crossroads as the source.
Parishes of the Eastern Prelacy are invited to send information about
their major events to be included in the calendar. Send to:
[email protected] (mailto:[email protected])
Eastern Prelacy of the Armenian Apost. Church of America and Canada
H.E. Archbishop Oshagan Choloyan
Prelate, Easter Prelacy and Canada
138 East 39th Street
New York, NY 10016
Tel: 212-689-7810
Fax: 212-689-7168
Web: http://www.armenianprelacy.org/
January 4, 2012
Special Christmas and New Year issue
Baptism of Christ, from a 1330 Gospel from the
Armenian Cathedral and Museum, New Julfa, Isfahan (Iran)
VIDEO: A CHRISTMAS AND NEW YEAR MESSAGE FROM
ARCHBISHOP OSHAGAN CHOLOYAN
Glory to Your Revelation, Lord
During these joyful holidays, the greatest commemoration is Gods
revelation to humankind through the birth of our Lord and Savior,
Jesus Christ. Gods love with His perfection and warmth brought us
closer to God; God visited us so His pure and graceful love would
become contagious and spread to those who are human beings like us. We
no longer ask, Who is my neighbor? (Luke 19:29); the revelation of
Jesus, our God, once and for all established the commandment that we
must express our love of God by loving our neighbor.
Gods revelation was the greatest news the world received since the
creation up to the birth of Jesus. It was greater than any discovery
or invention by humans, incomparable and even unfathomable to the
human mind and comprehension. Currently in our everyday lives we enjoy
using new inventions and concepts that are introduced. The true
Christian regards these to be the manifestation of the creative spirit
given to them by God; the same strength with which God created the
universe and humans. He gave to us His grace enabling us to continue
his creation in this world. All wisdom and power belong to Him. God
gave that power to humans so that on the eighth day of creation humans
should make worthy the grace and power that belong to God and which
weave the glory of God. It is with this understanding that we must
look at our own creation in the likeness of God (Genesis 1:26). We
must praise God; give Him our thanks for His boundl!
ess creative power and for his good grace.
On the occasion of the birth and revelation of Christ, when the
celebrations bring spiritual joy to all of us, it is necessary to
reflect on what God gave us with His revelation. Was it an ordinary
visit that ended with His ascension, or a new way of life that is an
inseparable part of our nature, from our birth until our unification
with Him in the Kingdom prepared for Christians?
First, God revealed to us His love. The Apostle John very clearly
defines Gods nature when he says, God is love, (1 John 4:8). That is
the embodiment of Supreme Power. God was incarnated so that Christians
would be like Him and find the way and the secret that leads to the
road to humanitys deification. We will find that road when we honor
that commandmentthe first and greatestthat Christ reminded us of: Love
your Lord God with all your heart and soul, with all your mind, all
your power (Mark 12:30-31). The second command is a continuation: Love
your neighbor as yourself. Only then will we be filled with the grace
that will make us God-like.
Second, Gods revelation to humankind is a reminder of the freedom He
gave to us. It is a freedom that raises humans above mere mechanical
created beings, and who are able to recognize and select that which
leads to the road worthy of salvation. Freedom is not anarchy, but
rather it is that condition when by respecting others we can cleanse
our souls, especially by remaining free of the chains of sin, and the
threat of the death of the soul. The first man, Adam, was unable to
utilize this freedom in its proper manner. The opposite of freedom is
disobedience to Gods will. Freedoms reward is eternal life, while the
wages of disobedience and sinfulness is death (Romans 6:23). Christ
was revealed to give us life, abundant life (John 10:10).
Third, trust in Gods intervention and role in our lives. Humility and
modesty are expected virtues of Christians and prods us to attribute
all our discoveries and inventions to Gods wisdomHis image that is
within us. Otherwise, arrogance and boasting distance us from that
feeling of modesty, and instead of recognizing God as the source of
our grace, talent and ability, we attribute our accomplishments solely
to ourselves, only to our skill and ability, and our material brain.
Self-confidence in human ability, and modern-day humanism and
secularism, have greatly distanced us from God. They have removed us
from the spiritual inner world of faith. Creating new idols on stages
and screens, turn us bankrupt of moral and family values and holiness.
As Christians we cannot perceive the world, and its new inventions,
without recognizing Gods will and power. As Christians we cannot
attribute purely to our own ability the things we cr!
eate, invent, and discover, since for Christians the source of
everything is God Himself. The revelation of Christ reminds us of Gods
eternal presence, accomplishment, and ability. Christians cannot
forget that they bear the image of God that was given to them when God
formed man of dust from the ground, and gave His breath of life,
creating a living being, a creative being (Genesis 2:7).
On the occasion of the great holy day of Gods revelation, let us
praise our Lords graceful visitationHis revelation from the modest
manger. May His grace spread into our homes so that we will be
strengthened in His love, emancipated from sin, and be worthy of our
freedom.
Christ is Born and Revealed.
Glory to Your Revelation, Lord
ARCHBISHOP OSHAGAN
Prelate
Armenian Apostolic Church of America
Eastern Prelacy
Holy Nativity 2012
To read the Prelates message in Armenian click here (
http://e2ma.net/go/11558197256/4130949/112755610/24882/goto:http://armenianprelacy.org/index.php/news/press-releases/203-pr120711a
).
PRELATES CHRISTMAS SCHEDULE
Christmas Eve, January 5, His Eminence Archbishop Oshagan will preside
over the Bible readings and the Christmas Eve Liturgy at St. Sarkis
Church in Douglaston, New York. Rev. Fr. Nareg Teterian, pastor of
St. Sarkis will celebrate the Divine Liturgy.
Christmas Day, January 6, His Eminence will celebrate the Divine
Liturgy, deliver the sermon, and officiate over the Blessing of the
Water service at St. Illuminators Cathedral, New York
City. Rev. Fr. Mesrob Lakissian, pastor of the Cathedral, will assist
the Prelate at the altar.
VICARS CHRISTMAS SCHEDULE
Christmas Day, January 6, His Grace will celebrate the Divine Liturgy,
deliver the sermon, and officiate over the Blessing of Water service
at St. Sarkis Church, Douglaston, New York. Rev. Fr. Nareg Terterian,
pastor of St. Sarkis, will assist the Vicar at the altar.
Following the service Bishop Anoushavan will visit the Armenian Home
in Flushing, New York, to convey the Good News and join the residents
at their Christmas dinner.
JANUARY 7 IS MEMORIAL DAY
As is the custom in the Armenian Church, the day after each of the
five great tabernacle feasts is a Memorial Day. Each is preceded by a
week-long fast (longer for Easter) and followed by a day of
remembrance of the dead. Traditionally, the Divine Liturgy is
celebrated on Memorial Days, and afterwards the faithful go to the
cemetery to venerate their loved ones and have the graves blessed by
the priest.
The Feasts of Easter, Transfiguration, Assumption, and Exaltation of
the Cross are on Sundays and their memorial days are on
Mondays. Christmas is on the fixed date of January 6, and therefore
Memorial Day can fall on any day. This year it is on a Saturday.
BIBLE READING
The 2012 Liturgical Calendar and Daily Bible Readings according to the
Typicon of the Armenian Apostolic Church are now available on the
Prelacy web site (www.armenianprelacy.com).
Bible reading for Friday, January 6, Christmas and Epiphany, are:
Titus 2:1-15; Matthew 1:18-25; 1 Corinthians 10:1-4; Matthew 3:1-17.
Now the birth of Jesus the Messiah took place in this way. When his
mother Mary had been engaged to Joseph, but before they lived
together, she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. Her
husband Joseph, being a righteous man and unwilling to expose her to
public disgrace, planned to dismiss her quietly. But just when he had
resolved to do this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream
and said, Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your
wife, for the child conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will
bear a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people
from their sins. All this took place to fulfill what had been spoken
by the Lord through the prophet: Look, the virgin shall conceive and
bear a son, and they shall name him Emmanuel, which means, God is with
us. When Joseph awoke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord
commanded him; he took her as his wife, but had no marital relations
with her until !
she had borne a son; and he named him Jesus. (Matthew 1:18-25).
For a listing of the coming weeks Bible readings click here (
http://e2ma.net/go/11558197256/4130949/112755611/24882/goto:http://www.armenianprelacy.org/images/prelacy/PDF/2012dbr-01.pdf
).
On the occasion of the Holy Nativity and Epiphany we wish everyone a
blessed New Year.
May your homes be filled with the Light of our Lord.
Khrisdos dzunav yev haydnetsav.
Orhnyal e haydnoutyounun Krisdosi.
Christ was Born and Revealed.
Blessed is the Revelation of Christ.
Web pages of the parishes can be accessed through the Prelacys web
site.
To ensure the timely arrival of Crossroads in your electronic mailbox,
add [email protected] (mailto:[email protected]) to
your address book.
Items in Crossroads can be reproduced without permission. Please
credit Crossroads as the source.
Parishes of the Eastern Prelacy are invited to send information about
their major events to be included in the calendar. Send to:
[email protected] (mailto:[email protected])