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WESTERN PRELATE ARCHBISHOP MOUSHEGH MARDIROSSIAN
http://asbarez.com/109113/prelates-easter-message-4/
Friday, March 29th, 2013
Prelate's Easter Message
The Resurrection Is The Pathway To Life
The majesty of the Easter season with its splendorous offerings is
once again upon us, a time to exult in the divine blessings of our
Lord and glorify Him for the priceless gift He conferred to us on that
first Easter morning by the Resurrection of His Only-Begotten Son,
our Savior Jesus Christ.
The most supreme of all divine miracles, the victory of victories,
set a new path for humanity, awakening our spirits and replenishing
our souls with new strength, new joy, new hope, and new life. The
Resurrection opened a new door, giving meaning and direction to
an otherwise empty and mortal life; it is the passage into God's
presence. "I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved."
(John 10:9)
With the fall of Adam and Eve from grace, the nature of man was forever
changed. Mankind died spiritually, bringing himself and all of creation
into a state of corruption and death. God's compassion and great
love for mankind established a new and everlasting covenant through
His Son Jesus Christ Who became the true Lamb of God, took away the
sins of the world and restored the broken relationship between God
and His people once and for all. "But now Christ is risen from the
dead...For since by man came death, by Man also came the resurrection
of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be
made alive". (1 Corinthians 15:20-22) Mankind, which was destined
for eternal punishment, was restored by the redeeming sacrifice of
Christ. His Resurrection and triumph over death transformed the course
of mankind, gave us a whole new perspective of life itself.
In the days leading to that first Easter Sunday, the apostles and
disciples with great agony witnessed the suffering and torture our
Lord had to endure, culminating in His Crucifixion. On the third day,
their despair turned to delight when they witnessed the Risen Christ.
They were revitalized in faith, and filled with new joy and hope. They
took on a new life. "Just as Christ was raised from the dead by the
glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life."
(Romans 6:4) The Resurrection miraculously transformed the lives of
the apostles and disciples and all those who received the Good News,
among them the founding fathers of the Armenian Apostolic Church. Our
forefathers received and embraced the testimony of the Resurrection,
and that message and promise became the lighthouse of our spiritual
life. It was the birth of a new nation. They chose the path illuminated
by the Truth and Light of Christ's Resurrection and breathed new life
into our nation, changing the course of our history forever.
Dear faithful,
In Christ alone is there true life. Easter is an invitation to choose
the path of light and life, to adopt the path of goodness, and sow
seeds of love, kindness and mercy in the perfect example of our Risen
Savior. It is never too late to repent, to leave behind our old life
and embark on a new path and new life cleansed by the sacrificial
blood of our Savior. We are reassured in this by the story of the two
thieves on the cross at the Crucifixion of Jesus. In the last moments
of his life, one of the thieves chose to live in the light of Christ's
Resurrection and cried out to Jesus to remember Him in His kingdom.
"And Jesus said to him, Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be
with Me in Paradise." (Luke 23:43)
God sent His Only-Begotten Son to deliver us from sin and death and
deliver us to righteousness and salvation. God, however, created man
with self-determination, with the free will to make moral choices
between good and evil, between God and sin. Jesus Christ knocks on
the door, but it is up to us to choose whether we welcome Him in our
hearts and live our lives full of meaning and purpose in the Light of
the Resurrection, or in the path of darkness blinded by sin and evil.
The forefathers of our faith chose the rightful path of life. Let
us follow in their ideal example by making our faith the driving
force of our lives, be expelling evil, hatred, and darkness from our
individual and collective lives and following the one true source of
Light which leads to the abundant life promised by our Savior. "I
have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more
abundantly." (John 10:10) This Easter, let us vow to continue the
legacy of our forefathers by remaining active witnesses and valiant
preachers of our faith, by choosing the path of Light and adopting
goodness, love, and truth as the creed of our lives and mission.
On this joyous occasion, we extend our paternal love and well
wishes to our clergy, Executive Council members, delegates, parish
representatives, educational institutions, sister organizations, and
our faithful parishioners. During our Easter celebrations and all the
days of our lives let us give praise and glory unto Almighty God for
the undeserved gift and promise of redemption and salvation. Let us
always remember the extent of His sacrificial love and the suffering
He endured to grant us the pathway to life.
May the triumphant tidings of the Resurrection brighten and enliven our
lives, illuminate our hearts, and fortify our souls with the spirit
of victory, with the hope of immortality, and with the assurance of
eternal life. Inspired by the life-bearing message and promise of
the Resurrection, let us join the angels of the Lord in triumphantly
proclaiming, Christ is Risen from the dead. He conquered death
by death. By His Resurrection He gave us new life. Blessed is the
Resurrection of the Christ.
Prayerfully, Archbishop Moushegh Mardirossian Prelate, Western United
States Easter 2013
From: Baghdasarian
http://asbarez.com/109113/prelates-easter-message-4/
Friday, March 29th, 2013
Prelate's Easter Message
The Resurrection Is The Pathway To Life
The majesty of the Easter season with its splendorous offerings is
once again upon us, a time to exult in the divine blessings of our
Lord and glorify Him for the priceless gift He conferred to us on that
first Easter morning by the Resurrection of His Only-Begotten Son,
our Savior Jesus Christ.
The most supreme of all divine miracles, the victory of victories,
set a new path for humanity, awakening our spirits and replenishing
our souls with new strength, new joy, new hope, and new life. The
Resurrection opened a new door, giving meaning and direction to
an otherwise empty and mortal life; it is the passage into God's
presence. "I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved."
(John 10:9)
With the fall of Adam and Eve from grace, the nature of man was forever
changed. Mankind died spiritually, bringing himself and all of creation
into a state of corruption and death. God's compassion and great
love for mankind established a new and everlasting covenant through
His Son Jesus Christ Who became the true Lamb of God, took away the
sins of the world and restored the broken relationship between God
and His people once and for all. "But now Christ is risen from the
dead...For since by man came death, by Man also came the resurrection
of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be
made alive". (1 Corinthians 15:20-22) Mankind, which was destined
for eternal punishment, was restored by the redeeming sacrifice of
Christ. His Resurrection and triumph over death transformed the course
of mankind, gave us a whole new perspective of life itself.
In the days leading to that first Easter Sunday, the apostles and
disciples with great agony witnessed the suffering and torture our
Lord had to endure, culminating in His Crucifixion. On the third day,
their despair turned to delight when they witnessed the Risen Christ.
They were revitalized in faith, and filled with new joy and hope. They
took on a new life. "Just as Christ was raised from the dead by the
glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life."
(Romans 6:4) The Resurrection miraculously transformed the lives of
the apostles and disciples and all those who received the Good News,
among them the founding fathers of the Armenian Apostolic Church. Our
forefathers received and embraced the testimony of the Resurrection,
and that message and promise became the lighthouse of our spiritual
life. It was the birth of a new nation. They chose the path illuminated
by the Truth and Light of Christ's Resurrection and breathed new life
into our nation, changing the course of our history forever.
Dear faithful,
In Christ alone is there true life. Easter is an invitation to choose
the path of light and life, to adopt the path of goodness, and sow
seeds of love, kindness and mercy in the perfect example of our Risen
Savior. It is never too late to repent, to leave behind our old life
and embark on a new path and new life cleansed by the sacrificial
blood of our Savior. We are reassured in this by the story of the two
thieves on the cross at the Crucifixion of Jesus. In the last moments
of his life, one of the thieves chose to live in the light of Christ's
Resurrection and cried out to Jesus to remember Him in His kingdom.
"And Jesus said to him, Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be
with Me in Paradise." (Luke 23:43)
God sent His Only-Begotten Son to deliver us from sin and death and
deliver us to righteousness and salvation. God, however, created man
with self-determination, with the free will to make moral choices
between good and evil, between God and sin. Jesus Christ knocks on
the door, but it is up to us to choose whether we welcome Him in our
hearts and live our lives full of meaning and purpose in the Light of
the Resurrection, or in the path of darkness blinded by sin and evil.
The forefathers of our faith chose the rightful path of life. Let
us follow in their ideal example by making our faith the driving
force of our lives, be expelling evil, hatred, and darkness from our
individual and collective lives and following the one true source of
Light which leads to the abundant life promised by our Savior. "I
have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more
abundantly." (John 10:10) This Easter, let us vow to continue the
legacy of our forefathers by remaining active witnesses and valiant
preachers of our faith, by choosing the path of Light and adopting
goodness, love, and truth as the creed of our lives and mission.
On this joyous occasion, we extend our paternal love and well
wishes to our clergy, Executive Council members, delegates, parish
representatives, educational institutions, sister organizations, and
our faithful parishioners. During our Easter celebrations and all the
days of our lives let us give praise and glory unto Almighty God for
the undeserved gift and promise of redemption and salvation. Let us
always remember the extent of His sacrificial love and the suffering
He endured to grant us the pathway to life.
May the triumphant tidings of the Resurrection brighten and enliven our
lives, illuminate our hearts, and fortify our souls with the spirit
of victory, with the hope of immortality, and with the assurance of
eternal life. Inspired by the life-bearing message and promise of
the Resurrection, let us join the angels of the Lord in triumphantly
proclaiming, Christ is Risen from the dead. He conquered death
by death. By His Resurrection He gave us new life. Blessed is the
Resurrection of the Christ.
Prayerfully, Archbishop Moushegh Mardirossian Prelate, Western United
States Easter 2013
From: Baghdasarian