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PRESS OFFICE
Diocese of the Armenian Church of America (Eastern)
630 Second Avenue, New York, NY 10016
Contact: Karine Abalyan
Tel: (212) 686-0710; Fax: (212) 779-3558
E-mail: [email protected]
Website: www.armenianchurch-ed.net
December 19, 2014
___________________
CHRISTMAS MESSAGE OF ARCHBISHOP KHAJAG BARSAMIAN
Primate of the Eastern Diocese of the Armenian Church of America
A LEGACY OF PEACE
And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field,
keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the
Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them:
and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, `Fear not:
for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to
all people=85' (Luke 2:8-10)
The angel promised that his `good tidings of great joy' would one day
be known by all people. But the announcement itself, on that glorious
night some 2,000 years ago, was made to only a few, humble shepherds,
in fields removed from any city or village. To reach the ears of the
entire world, the announcement would have to be repeated, from person
to person, from heart to heart, from generation to generation.
Yet through all those numberless repetitions, down to the present day,
these `good tidings' have never lost their freshness. They have never
lost their ability to inspire wonder and love at the news of God's
miraculous gift to mankind.
Indeed, the gift of Jesus Christ has inspired the Armenian people to
the heights of creativity and heroism, and has sustained us through
every trial. At every critical juncture of our history, we have been
able to refresh ourselves in the knowledge that our destiny lies with
him - through whom death is vanquished, sacrifice redeemed, and
despair transfigured into winged hope.
Perhaps that ability to refresh - to renew - lies at the heart of our
unusual resilience as a people. We are all profoundly aware that the
coming year will mark the 100th year of remembrance of the Armenian
Genocide: the terrible cataclysm that very nearly extinguished our
people, and still brings pain to every Armenian heart.
Our countrymen in the homeland and the diaspora will memorialize the
sufferings of the Genocide throughout 2015. There will be occasions
to express our sorrow and loss, our righteous indignation and our
sense of historical injustice. All these expressions are of the
utmost importance.
But our commemoration will be incomplete if we forget to also pay
attention to the miracle of renewal that the Armenian people
experienced - and that the entire world witnessed - in the course of
the past century. From the threshold of utter death and destruction,
the generation of survivors built new lives, planted new roots,
contributed in productive ways to the world around them. Most
miraculous of all, they passed on their precious Armenian Christian
heritage to further generations of children, grandchildren, and
great-grandchildren - who will never forget the profound sacrifice,
faith, and dignity exemplified by their forebears.
In this way, our Armenian martyrs teach us of Christ's power to
refresh the heart, renew the spirit, and make us all worthy to live
his gospel. Our Diocese will convey that message in 2015 through our
theme, `Living the Gospel of Christ: Legacy of Our Martyrs.'
Theirs was a legacy that answered death with life, destruction with
creativity. It is a legacy that endured suffering, but never brought
suffering upon any others. It is a legacy of peace, which should
inspire us as we prepare to celebrate the birth of the Prince of
Peace.
And in April of 2015, their legacy will be crowned with the seal of
sainthood, as the Armenian Church canonizes the martyrs who died for
their faith in the Genocide. Some of their names are known; others
are as nameless as the shepherds who heard the angels on that first
Christmas night. But in a truly history-making service at the Mother
See of Holy Etchmiadzin, the souls who died for our Lord during the
Genocide will be acknowledged as saints of the church. What a
glorious moment that will be!
Above all, the legacy of our martyrs is meant to inspire us, to guide
our steps; to help us press on in the dark of night; to comfort our
hearts with those `good tidings of great joy' - first announced 2,000
years ago, but as fresh and new as tomorrow.
In this holy season, let us rejoice again in those good tidings, as we
proclaim:
Krisdos dzunav yev haydnetzav! Orhnyal eh haydnootiunun Krisdosee!
Christ is born and revealed! Blessed is the revelation of Christ!
With prayers,
Archbishop Khajag Barsamian
Primate
January 2015
###
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
Diocese of the Armenian Church of America (Eastern)
630 Second Avenue, New York, NY 10016
Contact: Karine Abalyan
Tel: (212) 686-0710; Fax: (212) 779-3558
E-mail: [email protected]
Website: www.armenianchurch-ed.net
December 19, 2014
___________________
CHRISTMAS MESSAGE OF ARCHBISHOP KHAJAG BARSAMIAN
Primate of the Eastern Diocese of the Armenian Church of America
A LEGACY OF PEACE
And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field,
keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the
Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them:
and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, `Fear not:
for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to
all people=85' (Luke 2:8-10)
The angel promised that his `good tidings of great joy' would one day
be known by all people. But the announcement itself, on that glorious
night some 2,000 years ago, was made to only a few, humble shepherds,
in fields removed from any city or village. To reach the ears of the
entire world, the announcement would have to be repeated, from person
to person, from heart to heart, from generation to generation.
Yet through all those numberless repetitions, down to the present day,
these `good tidings' have never lost their freshness. They have never
lost their ability to inspire wonder and love at the news of God's
miraculous gift to mankind.
Indeed, the gift of Jesus Christ has inspired the Armenian people to
the heights of creativity and heroism, and has sustained us through
every trial. At every critical juncture of our history, we have been
able to refresh ourselves in the knowledge that our destiny lies with
him - through whom death is vanquished, sacrifice redeemed, and
despair transfigured into winged hope.
Perhaps that ability to refresh - to renew - lies at the heart of our
unusual resilience as a people. We are all profoundly aware that the
coming year will mark the 100th year of remembrance of the Armenian
Genocide: the terrible cataclysm that very nearly extinguished our
people, and still brings pain to every Armenian heart.
Our countrymen in the homeland and the diaspora will memorialize the
sufferings of the Genocide throughout 2015. There will be occasions
to express our sorrow and loss, our righteous indignation and our
sense of historical injustice. All these expressions are of the
utmost importance.
But our commemoration will be incomplete if we forget to also pay
attention to the miracle of renewal that the Armenian people
experienced - and that the entire world witnessed - in the course of
the past century. From the threshold of utter death and destruction,
the generation of survivors built new lives, planted new roots,
contributed in productive ways to the world around them. Most
miraculous of all, they passed on their precious Armenian Christian
heritage to further generations of children, grandchildren, and
great-grandchildren - who will never forget the profound sacrifice,
faith, and dignity exemplified by their forebears.
In this way, our Armenian martyrs teach us of Christ's power to
refresh the heart, renew the spirit, and make us all worthy to live
his gospel. Our Diocese will convey that message in 2015 through our
theme, `Living the Gospel of Christ: Legacy of Our Martyrs.'
Theirs was a legacy that answered death with life, destruction with
creativity. It is a legacy that endured suffering, but never brought
suffering upon any others. It is a legacy of peace, which should
inspire us as we prepare to celebrate the birth of the Prince of
Peace.
And in April of 2015, their legacy will be crowned with the seal of
sainthood, as the Armenian Church canonizes the martyrs who died for
their faith in the Genocide. Some of their names are known; others
are as nameless as the shepherds who heard the angels on that first
Christmas night. But in a truly history-making service at the Mother
See of Holy Etchmiadzin, the souls who died for our Lord during the
Genocide will be acknowledged as saints of the church. What a
glorious moment that will be!
Above all, the legacy of our martyrs is meant to inspire us, to guide
our steps; to help us press on in the dark of night; to comfort our
hearts with those `good tidings of great joy' - first announced 2,000
years ago, but as fresh and new as tomorrow.
In this holy season, let us rejoice again in those good tidings, as we
proclaim:
Krisdos dzunav yev haydnetzav! Orhnyal eh haydnootiunun Krisdosee!
Christ is born and revealed! Blessed is the revelation of Christ!
With prayers,
Archbishop Khajag Barsamian
Primate
January 2015
###
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress