Feast of the Glorious Resurrection of Jesus Christ in the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin
20.04.2003
On April 20, the Feast of the Glorious Resurrection of Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ was celebrated by the worldwide Armenian Church. As this beautiful spring morning began in the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin, the Pontifical Procession walked from the Residence of the Catholicos toward the Mother Cathedral. His Holiness Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians, celebrated the Pontifical Divine Liturgy on Easter Sunday to an overflowing crowd of dignitaries, guests and faithful. Assisting His Holiness at the Holy Altar were His Grace Bishop Sion Adamian, Primate of the Diocese of Armavir, and His Grace Bishop Movses Movsesian, Primate of the Diocese of Southern Russia.
With the joyous tiding of "Christ is Risen from the dead! Blessed is the Resurrection of Christ.", the announcement of Our Lord's wondrous turning of mortal death into eternal life was received with awe and reverence.
The theme of His Holiness' sermon was "By faith to know Him and the power of His Resurrection" (Phil. 3:10). In his message to the Armenian Nation, His Holiness stated in part, "Dearly Beloved Armenian People, the long paths of our crucifixion have ended with the morning of the Resurrection, and it is the new dawn of the hope of the Resurrection in our free Motherland and our national life. Gazing to heaven on this Easter morning, we see the gates of God's compassion open before us, a new invitation for resurrected life calls to us . . . Let us look upon our rocks which have become stone-crosses, the domes of our Armenian churches which soar to the skies, and they will speak to us through the lips of our fathers, telling and directing us to be unified for the love of a free homeland and under the all-powerful arms of the Holy Cross; and our solidarity will be our strength. Let us build our home, our village, our city, and our churches on our soil; not only with stones brought from the mountains of our homeland, but also with the love of God which dwells in our hearts, with the legacy of our fathers and the inspiration of our history. With every good morning, let us bless the day which is beginning in our free lives, let us bless with faith and loyalty, and with the confidence of our awakened soul, let us build the prosperous present-day of the Armenians and the vision of the future, which get their light from the inextinguishable Lantern of the Illuminator."
Directing his message to Armenians living in the Diaspora, the Catholicos stated, "Dear Son and Daughter of the Armenian Nation, who has migrated from the homeland and was born in distant lands, it is our Pontifical prayer and wish before the Holy Altar of Descent, that the light of the Glorious Resurrection of the Savior bring rebirth to your Christian faith and renew your oath to remain Armenian. Remain loyal to our Apostolic Holy Church, sacredly preserve your legacy and transmit it to your children, and do not forget that in one corner of your homeland the graves of your forefathers await your return.
"Wherever we may live, dear Armenian people, whether in the Motherland or far from her, let our soul flourish with the patriotism of being the Children of Ararat, with the strength of the Savior's triumphant love, and the God of our Fathers will lead us to new victories. Let us vow to remain steadfast children of the Chrism of Holy Etchmiadzin, the Resurrection seal of which is upon our foreheads and we are the adopted of Christ, and our path is 'By faith to know Him and the power of His Resurrection'".
His Holiness addressed Easter greetings, blessings and congratulations as well to the Incumbents of the Hierarchal Sees of the Armenian Church, the entire order of clergymen, the state officials of the Republics of Armenia and Nagorno Karabagh, and the faithful throughout the world.
Present during the Divine Liturgy were President of the Republic of Armenia Robert Kocharian, Prime Minister Andranik Margarian, President of the National Assembly Armen Khatchatrian, Ministers and National Assembly Members, the Diplomatic Corps of Foreign Governments, representatives of other Christian Churches, Members of the Supreme Spiritual Council, and thousands of Armenians from Armenia, Artsakh and abroad.
At the conclusion of Divine Liturgy, a reception was held in the Residence of the Catholicos for the dignitaries and guests in attendance. The Pontiff of All Armenians welcomed and congratulated the guests on the occasion of the Glorious Resurrection of Christ and once more conveyed the good news, "Christ is Risen from the dead! Blessed is the Resurrection of Christ."
