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Message of His Holiness Karekin II on the Feast of the Holy Nativity
and Theophany of Our Lord Jesus Christ
http://www.armradio.am/en/2014/01/06/message-of-his-holiness-karekin-ii-on-the-feast-of-the-holy-nativity-and-theophany-of-our-lord-jesus-christ-2/
13:13 06.01.2014
In the Name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
`I am the Way and the Truth and the Life.'
John 14:6
Dear and faithful people in Armenia, Artsakh and the Dispersion,
It is with the exultation of Christ our Lord's Holy Nativity that we
offer today our joyful gratitude to God. We glorify our Savior - the
infant Jesus born in Bethlehem. On the blessed day of the Holy
Nativity, the earth became heaven, and the ray of Justice with the
light of righteousness dawned to illuminate the souls of men, so that
they know, see, and find their salvation.
The Son of God humbled Himself from the heights of heaven, became man
and came to earth, to save man who had been exiled from paradise
through the deception of the intriguer, from sin and from the power of
Satan who breeds sin. He came to return the lost generations of the
first-created man who had come out against God in transgression to the
kingdom of heaven, and to turn them into the children of God. `Teach
me the way I should go, Lord, for to you I lift up my soul.' (Psalms
143:8). In response to this plea of mankind that was raised up to
heaven by the psalmist's lips:, the voice of our Savior resounded: `I
am the Way and the Truth and the Life.'
By making truth and life one with Himself, our Lord proclaimed that
truth is a value equal to life. He dispersed the darkness of aimless
wanderings and sinfulness with the rays of truth, and granted to men
the Holy Spirit of Truth (John 14:17), so that the path of mankind be
established in a life of peace and righteousness - a life founded on
love and honesty for one another.
Through the Lord's act of salvation, the defeated evil fights today as
well with fury for the souls of men, trying to obscure with fog the
light of truth brought by Christ; so that men do not see the path that
leads to heaven, and by leading them astray through snares of
deception, be denied the eternal life of the kingdom of God. Evil has
no rest - it works day in and day out and works through men. Evil
creates the path when vigilance for the truth is lacking in life, and
falsehood finds its collaborators. The beguiling ways of evil are
strengthened when man strays from the principles taught by Christ -
filling life with falsehoods and distortions. It is thus that the
presentation of realities are transformed into intrigues and false
evaluations; arbitrary and selfish interpretation in religions, give
birth to cults; by the demands of the defense of human rights, society
is at times also compelled to adopt behaviors that are contradictory
with societal thinking and value structures.
It is in this manner that morality in the world cedes ground to
immorality, freedom of speech is transformed to licentiousness of
speech, and testimony becomes the distortion of truth. By distorting
the truth, political interests often oppose peace and justice, frenzy
to acquire the material and selfish desires oppose mercy and
philanthropy, and multiply the conflicts, sorrows, wants and pains in
the world.
The world shall be liberated of these life-agitating realities when
men accept the truth of Christ, when they witness the presence of the
Lord through their faithful works, and like the Apostle, proclaim,
`...the truth of Christ is in me!' (2 Corinthians 11:10). Only by
bearing the truth can mankind secure the progress of life,
reformation, beneficial results and development; because nothing that
lasts is built on deception - neither relationships between
individuals, nor a vibrant societal life or statehood. When truth is
not within men, dedication, righteousness and brotherhood have no
value; however through truth they take on strength and the power to be
transformed into work.
In our reality, dear pious faithful, regrettably we also find
impropriety and slander, indifference towards the general welfare of
the country. Traditional family values are in retreat, and in the
face of difficulties, the spirit of conscientiousness. Unreserved
behavior and insult are regarded as courageous; responsibility is
subordinated to rights. Frequently, the right to express one's
personal opinion is wrongly utilized to distort the truth, in order to
spread subjective or biased opinions.
It is in this mentality that falsehood is veiled with a mask of truth,
debate becomes argument, discussion transforms into scorn and
condemnation, from which the Spirit of God's truth and the wisdom of
God move away; and we have difficulty - yes, even cease - to see the
good and the just; and faith and trust in one another, as well as hope
and optimism for the future, all weaken in our lives.
Dear faithful, it is the child born in Bethlehem who is the way, the
truth and the life. We must rely on Him, we must bear His truth in
our hearts so that our lives are transformed, be filled with
unwavering trust, and the strength to overcome difficulties, and
everything will be made right through the power of God's benevolent
will. The truth is liberating. `And you will know the truth, and the
truth will make you free.' (John 8:32), says our Lord. Let us live
and work with Christ's truth; let us make his word and commandments
the light that disperses the darkness in our lives; let us make His
love and mercy for us the power that unites us - the power that
creates the unity of the nation. Let us keep steadfast and strong our
unanimity, spirit of harmony, let us care for and attend to one
another, for our country and the elevation of our spiritual and
national life. It is in this manner - and only in this manner - that
we shall build and create our vibrant and prosperous homeland. It is
only in this way that we shall transform the 100th anniversary
commemorating the Genocide of the Armenians into the platform of
victory for our righteous cause, and lead to a just and positive
solution the fundamental issue of Artsakh. It is in this way we shall
keep the Diaspora vibrant and energetic, and become the hope and
refuge for our Syrian-Armenian brothers and sisters bearing the
adversities of conflict. And may all of our labors be with the Lord.
It is with this wish and the good tiding of the Holy Nativity that we
extend our greetings to the incumbents of the hierarchal sees of our
Holy Apostolic Church: His Holiness Aram I, Catholicos of the Great
House of Cilicia; His Beatitude Archbishop Nourhan Manougian, Armenian
Patriarch of Jerusalem; His Beatitude Archbishop Mesrob Mutafian,
Armenian Patriarch of Constantinople; to all of our oath-bound and
devoted clergy; and to the graceful heads of our sister Churches.
With pontifical blessings and the appeal for the graces of the Holy
Nativity, we greet the President of the Republic of Armenia, Serzh
Sargsian and the First Lady, present here for the Divine Liturgy
today. We convey our greetings to the President of the Republic of
Artsakh, Bako Sahakian, to all high-ranking state officials of the
Armenian people, to the leaders of diplomatic missions accredited in
Armenia and representatives of international organizations.
>From God-built Holy Etchmiadzin and the Holy Altar of Descent of our
Lord and Savior, with the good tidings of the Holy Nativity, we extend
our pontifical love and blessings to all of our sons and daughters
dispersed throughout the world.
On this joyful day, let us pray for the graces of the Savior's birth
to always reign over the earth, and with the entreaty of the prophet,
`Steadfast love and faithfulness will meet; righteousness and peace
will kiss each other.' (Psalms 85:10).
May the illuminated rays of our Lord Jesus Christ's birth give
brilliance to our Holy Church, our Homeland, to Armenian life in the
Diaspora, so that it be glorification to the Most-High God and grant
to our nation constant and endless spiritual happiness, and today and
always, may we always proclaim with joy,
Christ is Born and Revealed
Great Tidings to All
and Theophany of Our Lord Jesus Christ
http://www.armradio.am/en/2014/01/06/message-of-his-holiness-karekin-ii-on-the-feast-of-the-holy-nativity-and-theophany-of-our-lord-jesus-christ-2/
13:13 06.01.2014
In the Name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
`I am the Way and the Truth and the Life.'
John 14:6
Dear and faithful people in Armenia, Artsakh and the Dispersion,
It is with the exultation of Christ our Lord's Holy Nativity that we
offer today our joyful gratitude to God. We glorify our Savior - the
infant Jesus born in Bethlehem. On the blessed day of the Holy
Nativity, the earth became heaven, and the ray of Justice with the
light of righteousness dawned to illuminate the souls of men, so that
they know, see, and find their salvation.
The Son of God humbled Himself from the heights of heaven, became man
and came to earth, to save man who had been exiled from paradise
through the deception of the intriguer, from sin and from the power of
Satan who breeds sin. He came to return the lost generations of the
first-created man who had come out against God in transgression to the
kingdom of heaven, and to turn them into the children of God. `Teach
me the way I should go, Lord, for to you I lift up my soul.' (Psalms
143:8). In response to this plea of mankind that was raised up to
heaven by the psalmist's lips:, the voice of our Savior resounded: `I
am the Way and the Truth and the Life.'
By making truth and life one with Himself, our Lord proclaimed that
truth is a value equal to life. He dispersed the darkness of aimless
wanderings and sinfulness with the rays of truth, and granted to men
the Holy Spirit of Truth (John 14:17), so that the path of mankind be
established in a life of peace and righteousness - a life founded on
love and honesty for one another.
Through the Lord's act of salvation, the defeated evil fights today as
well with fury for the souls of men, trying to obscure with fog the
light of truth brought by Christ; so that men do not see the path that
leads to heaven, and by leading them astray through snares of
deception, be denied the eternal life of the kingdom of God. Evil has
no rest - it works day in and day out and works through men. Evil
creates the path when vigilance for the truth is lacking in life, and
falsehood finds its collaborators. The beguiling ways of evil are
strengthened when man strays from the principles taught by Christ -
filling life with falsehoods and distortions. It is thus that the
presentation of realities are transformed into intrigues and false
evaluations; arbitrary and selfish interpretation in religions, give
birth to cults; by the demands of the defense of human rights, society
is at times also compelled to adopt behaviors that are contradictory
with societal thinking and value structures.
It is in this manner that morality in the world cedes ground to
immorality, freedom of speech is transformed to licentiousness of
speech, and testimony becomes the distortion of truth. By distorting
the truth, political interests often oppose peace and justice, frenzy
to acquire the material and selfish desires oppose mercy and
philanthropy, and multiply the conflicts, sorrows, wants and pains in
the world.
The world shall be liberated of these life-agitating realities when
men accept the truth of Christ, when they witness the presence of the
Lord through their faithful works, and like the Apostle, proclaim,
`...the truth of Christ is in me!' (2 Corinthians 11:10). Only by
bearing the truth can mankind secure the progress of life,
reformation, beneficial results and development; because nothing that
lasts is built on deception - neither relationships between
individuals, nor a vibrant societal life or statehood. When truth is
not within men, dedication, righteousness and brotherhood have no
value; however through truth they take on strength and the power to be
transformed into work.
In our reality, dear pious faithful, regrettably we also find
impropriety and slander, indifference towards the general welfare of
the country. Traditional family values are in retreat, and in the
face of difficulties, the spirit of conscientiousness. Unreserved
behavior and insult are regarded as courageous; responsibility is
subordinated to rights. Frequently, the right to express one's
personal opinion is wrongly utilized to distort the truth, in order to
spread subjective or biased opinions.
It is in this mentality that falsehood is veiled with a mask of truth,
debate becomes argument, discussion transforms into scorn and
condemnation, from which the Spirit of God's truth and the wisdom of
God move away; and we have difficulty - yes, even cease - to see the
good and the just; and faith and trust in one another, as well as hope
and optimism for the future, all weaken in our lives.
Dear faithful, it is the child born in Bethlehem who is the way, the
truth and the life. We must rely on Him, we must bear His truth in
our hearts so that our lives are transformed, be filled with
unwavering trust, and the strength to overcome difficulties, and
everything will be made right through the power of God's benevolent
will. The truth is liberating. `And you will know the truth, and the
truth will make you free.' (John 8:32), says our Lord. Let us live
and work with Christ's truth; let us make his word and commandments
the light that disperses the darkness in our lives; let us make His
love and mercy for us the power that unites us - the power that
creates the unity of the nation. Let us keep steadfast and strong our
unanimity, spirit of harmony, let us care for and attend to one
another, for our country and the elevation of our spiritual and
national life. It is in this manner - and only in this manner - that
we shall build and create our vibrant and prosperous homeland. It is
only in this way that we shall transform the 100th anniversary
commemorating the Genocide of the Armenians into the platform of
victory for our righteous cause, and lead to a just and positive
solution the fundamental issue of Artsakh. It is in this way we shall
keep the Diaspora vibrant and energetic, and become the hope and
refuge for our Syrian-Armenian brothers and sisters bearing the
adversities of conflict. And may all of our labors be with the Lord.
It is with this wish and the good tiding of the Holy Nativity that we
extend our greetings to the incumbents of the hierarchal sees of our
Holy Apostolic Church: His Holiness Aram I, Catholicos of the Great
House of Cilicia; His Beatitude Archbishop Nourhan Manougian, Armenian
Patriarch of Jerusalem; His Beatitude Archbishop Mesrob Mutafian,
Armenian Patriarch of Constantinople; to all of our oath-bound and
devoted clergy; and to the graceful heads of our sister Churches.
With pontifical blessings and the appeal for the graces of the Holy
Nativity, we greet the President of the Republic of Armenia, Serzh
Sargsian and the First Lady, present here for the Divine Liturgy
today. We convey our greetings to the President of the Republic of
Artsakh, Bako Sahakian, to all high-ranking state officials of the
Armenian people, to the leaders of diplomatic missions accredited in
Armenia and representatives of international organizations.
>From God-built Holy Etchmiadzin and the Holy Altar of Descent of our
Lord and Savior, with the good tidings of the Holy Nativity, we extend
our pontifical love and blessings to all of our sons and daughters
dispersed throughout the world.
On this joyful day, let us pray for the graces of the Savior's birth
to always reign over the earth, and with the entreaty of the prophet,
`Steadfast love and faithfulness will meet; righteousness and peace
will kiss each other.' (Psalms 85:10).
May the illuminated rays of our Lord Jesus Christ's birth give
brilliance to our Holy Church, our Homeland, to Armenian life in the
Diaspora, so that it be glorification to the Most-High God and grant
to our nation constant and endless spiritual happiness, and today and
always, may we always proclaim with joy,
Christ is Born and Revealed
Great Tidings to All