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Prelate's New Year and Christmas Message
http://asbarez.com/118004/prelate%E2%80%99s-new-year-and-christmas-message-4/
Friday, January 3rd, 2014
Western Prelate Archbishop Moushegh Mardirossian
The Incarnation Is an Invitation to Emulate Christ
`And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us...' (John 1:14)
As we approach the dawning of a new year and prepare to welcome the
Birth and Theophany of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ into our
hearts and souls, we give thanks and praise to Almighty God for the
gift of another year and most especially for the indescribable gift of
His Only-Begotten Son Who, in the words of St. Athanasius the Great,
`became man that man might become God.'
After the fall of Adam and Eve, man, who was created in the image of
God, was separated from God spiritually. At the appointed time God
became incarnate, took on the form of man, for our redemption and
salvation. `And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we
beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,
full of grace and truth.' (John 1:14). Jesus came forth from God so
that we could know of and experience God's nature and will. Jesus was
born so that we might know the extent of God's love. He came to live
among man to be a model of holiness and by example to show the way to
live in a way that is pleasing to God.
In a humble manger in Bethlehem centuries ago, Jesus was born into
this world as the heavenly host proclaimed `Glory to God in the
highest, and on earth peace, goodwill toward men!' (Luke 2:14),
shepherds came to adore him, and magi came to praise Him bearing gifts
of gold, frankincense and myrrh. Each year on Christmas we celebrate
not only the actual Birth of Jesus, we celebrate the true meaning and
message of Christmas, the Incarnation. On that silent and holy night,
God became man. He humbled Himself and became like us so that we could
become more like Him.
Why did Jesus come in human form? We know that in Old Testament times
men feared God, trembling when they heard His voice and saw His
holiness with their own eyes. Christ came as man, in the same form as
us, so that man could come near to Him, `Therefore, in all things He
had to be made like His brethren, that He might be a merciful and
faithful High Priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation
for the sins of the people.' (Hebrews 2:17) To truly represent
mankind, to become our substitute and open the way for our salvation,
Jesus had to become man to experience all that we experience and to
share in the same conditions as humanity.
Jesus became incarnate so that we may be sanctified, and He sanctified
us by paying the penalty for our sins and covering us in His
righteousness. He came to transform us and give us a life that we
could not achieve on our own, the fullness of a life with God. He came
to reconcile us with God and restore us in the image of God. Whoever
receives Him receives a new life as a child of God.
Dear Faithful,
God became man so that we could become more God-like, not in the
literal sense but by following in His example. To follow in the ideal
example set forth by our Lord Jesus Christ is to be a person willing
to put others before ourselves. It is goodwill and charity; charity
not only as alms-giving, but as agape love. Jesus taught that love of
God and neighbor is the greatest commandment, and that love
distinguishes His followers, `A new commandment I give to you, that
you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one
another. By this all will known that you are My disciples, if your
have love for one another.' (John 13:34-35).
Charity is an essential component of our faith. It is not a duty or
obligation, rather an expression of brotherly love and compassion.
God's immense love and compassion for mankind, evidenced by the Birth
and later crucifixion of His Son, is the ideal that we must all strive
to emulate by being generous to our fellow man. We cannot profess
ourselves true Christians if we are not expressing God's love to our
neighbor. `He who says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk
just as He walked.' (1 John 2:6) As children of God created in His
image, we cannot stand by and let our fellow child of God go without
if we have the means to help. We must radiate His love through our
interactions with others and through our goodwill and good deeds.
As the popular saying goes, `Charity begins at home'. As Armenians, we
belong to our individual families but we also belong to a larger
family, a family whose members are scattered throughout Armenia,
Artsakh and Diaspora communities across the globe but who are always
near in spirit. As faithful Christians, we must all feel a sense of
Christian charity and brotherly kindness towards each and every member
of our family, and especially to those in crisis such as the
Syrian-Armenian community. The civil strife in Syria rages on to the
great detriment of innocent civilians caught in the crossfire. As
winter sets in, the harsh conditions will only worsen and the need for
aid will greatly increase. Christmas is one of the most joyous days of
the year. Sadly, for our brethren in Syria and for millions of others
around the world, the Christmas cheer is dampened by their
circumstances. As we thank God and enjoy the abundance of blessings in
our lives this Christmas season, let us do our part as true Christians
and lift the spirits of the less fortunate by sharing our blessings
and love and spreading Christmas cheer to as many people as we can.
The spirit of Christmas is all around us. Joy is in the air, hearts
are a little warmer, spirits a little brighter. But Christmas is not
just one day for families and friends to come together to share a meal
and exchange presents. Christmas is love, caring, and sharing. `For
God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son...' (John
3:16), that is the real gift of Christmas. May we sing praises to God
each and every day of the year for the gift of the Incarnation of His
Son, and may we proclaim the essence of Christmas in our lives daily
as we strive to walk in the way of our Lord and bear witness to His
love and mercy through our charity and compassion for one another.
On the joyous occasion of the New Year and the glorious Birth and
Revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ, we extend our greetings and
felicitations to our clergy, councils, parishes, schools, committees,
and faithful parishioners, praying that 2014 is a blessed year filled
with the love, peace, and joy of God.
Happy New Year
Christ is Born and Revealed
Blessed is the Revelation of Christ
Archbishop Moushegh Mardirossian
Prelate, Western United States
New Year and Christmas 2014
http://asbarez.com/118004/prelate%E2%80%99s-new-year-and-christmas-message-4/
Friday, January 3rd, 2014
Western Prelate Archbishop Moushegh Mardirossian
The Incarnation Is an Invitation to Emulate Christ
`And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us...' (John 1:14)
As we approach the dawning of a new year and prepare to welcome the
Birth and Theophany of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ into our
hearts and souls, we give thanks and praise to Almighty God for the
gift of another year and most especially for the indescribable gift of
His Only-Begotten Son Who, in the words of St. Athanasius the Great,
`became man that man might become God.'
After the fall of Adam and Eve, man, who was created in the image of
God, was separated from God spiritually. At the appointed time God
became incarnate, took on the form of man, for our redemption and
salvation. `And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we
beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,
full of grace and truth.' (John 1:14). Jesus came forth from God so
that we could know of and experience God's nature and will. Jesus was
born so that we might know the extent of God's love. He came to live
among man to be a model of holiness and by example to show the way to
live in a way that is pleasing to God.
In a humble manger in Bethlehem centuries ago, Jesus was born into
this world as the heavenly host proclaimed `Glory to God in the
highest, and on earth peace, goodwill toward men!' (Luke 2:14),
shepherds came to adore him, and magi came to praise Him bearing gifts
of gold, frankincense and myrrh. Each year on Christmas we celebrate
not only the actual Birth of Jesus, we celebrate the true meaning and
message of Christmas, the Incarnation. On that silent and holy night,
God became man. He humbled Himself and became like us so that we could
become more like Him.
Why did Jesus come in human form? We know that in Old Testament times
men feared God, trembling when they heard His voice and saw His
holiness with their own eyes. Christ came as man, in the same form as
us, so that man could come near to Him, `Therefore, in all things He
had to be made like His brethren, that He might be a merciful and
faithful High Priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation
for the sins of the people.' (Hebrews 2:17) To truly represent
mankind, to become our substitute and open the way for our salvation,
Jesus had to become man to experience all that we experience and to
share in the same conditions as humanity.
Jesus became incarnate so that we may be sanctified, and He sanctified
us by paying the penalty for our sins and covering us in His
righteousness. He came to transform us and give us a life that we
could not achieve on our own, the fullness of a life with God. He came
to reconcile us with God and restore us in the image of God. Whoever
receives Him receives a new life as a child of God.
Dear Faithful,
God became man so that we could become more God-like, not in the
literal sense but by following in His example. To follow in the ideal
example set forth by our Lord Jesus Christ is to be a person willing
to put others before ourselves. It is goodwill and charity; charity
not only as alms-giving, but as agape love. Jesus taught that love of
God and neighbor is the greatest commandment, and that love
distinguishes His followers, `A new commandment I give to you, that
you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one
another. By this all will known that you are My disciples, if your
have love for one another.' (John 13:34-35).
Charity is an essential component of our faith. It is not a duty or
obligation, rather an expression of brotherly love and compassion.
God's immense love and compassion for mankind, evidenced by the Birth
and later crucifixion of His Son, is the ideal that we must all strive
to emulate by being generous to our fellow man. We cannot profess
ourselves true Christians if we are not expressing God's love to our
neighbor. `He who says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk
just as He walked.' (1 John 2:6) As children of God created in His
image, we cannot stand by and let our fellow child of God go without
if we have the means to help. We must radiate His love through our
interactions with others and through our goodwill and good deeds.
As the popular saying goes, `Charity begins at home'. As Armenians, we
belong to our individual families but we also belong to a larger
family, a family whose members are scattered throughout Armenia,
Artsakh and Diaspora communities across the globe but who are always
near in spirit. As faithful Christians, we must all feel a sense of
Christian charity and brotherly kindness towards each and every member
of our family, and especially to those in crisis such as the
Syrian-Armenian community. The civil strife in Syria rages on to the
great detriment of innocent civilians caught in the crossfire. As
winter sets in, the harsh conditions will only worsen and the need for
aid will greatly increase. Christmas is one of the most joyous days of
the year. Sadly, for our brethren in Syria and for millions of others
around the world, the Christmas cheer is dampened by their
circumstances. As we thank God and enjoy the abundance of blessings in
our lives this Christmas season, let us do our part as true Christians
and lift the spirits of the less fortunate by sharing our blessings
and love and spreading Christmas cheer to as many people as we can.
The spirit of Christmas is all around us. Joy is in the air, hearts
are a little warmer, spirits a little brighter. But Christmas is not
just one day for families and friends to come together to share a meal
and exchange presents. Christmas is love, caring, and sharing. `For
God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son...' (John
3:16), that is the real gift of Christmas. May we sing praises to God
each and every day of the year for the gift of the Incarnation of His
Son, and may we proclaim the essence of Christmas in our lives daily
as we strive to walk in the way of our Lord and bear witness to His
love and mercy through our charity and compassion for one another.
On the joyous occasion of the New Year and the glorious Birth and
Revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ, we extend our greetings and
felicitations to our clergy, councils, parishes, schools, committees,
and faithful parishioners, praying that 2014 is a blessed year filled
with the love, peace, and joy of God.
Happy New Year
Christ is Born and Revealed
Blessed is the Revelation of Christ
Archbishop Moushegh Mardirossian
Prelate, Western United States
New Year and Christmas 2014