Christ is Born and Revealed! Blessed is the Revelation of Christ.
11.01.2005
Nothing - no human creation or plan - is capable of renewing and
transfiguring the soul of man, other than the faith of God's
presence in the life of mankind. -
His Holiness Karekin II
Christ is Born and Revealed! Blessed is the Revelation of Christ.
On the morning of January 6, the Armenian Apostolic Holy Church celebrated the Feast of the Holy Nativity and Theophany of Our Lord Jesus Christ. His Holiness Karekin II, Catholicos of All Armenians celebrated the Pontifical Divine Liturgy in the Mother Cathedral of Holy Etchmiadzin.
During the Liturgy, His Holiness delivered his Christmas message addressed to all Armenians:
". . . Today the star of Bethlehem is guiding us to the Savior's manger, where the eternal was born, the infinite was confined, and that which cannot be comprehended was recognized as liberator. Let us not hesitate to know the Truth, to do the good, to serve one another and to serve Christ. Let us put aside all which will disrupt us from following His luminous and liberating path. Freedom is the greatest grace in which our hopes and aspirations will bear fruit, to construct a peaceful and prosperous life and a free society. We will not only defend the freedom of our Homeland, but also make it become freedom for each one of us.
Freedom is our choice of the good, which in itself is also a struggle against evil. Poverty and the evil of lawlessness will be erased from our soil with our Christ-loving and truth-loving endeavors; indifference and intolerance will be forced out of our society and the benefits of true philanthropy will be established. It is through our brotherhood, in our justice and in our love that our plans and labors will succeed; aimed at the building and strengthening of our Homeland, in the transformation of our society, in the preservation and renaissance of national life in the Diaspora, in the education of our children, in the development of our culture, and in the realization of all objectives of our people"
In his message, His Holiness also spoke of the significance of the new year of 2005, noting that the Armenian people will celebrate the 1,600th anniversary of the creation of the Armenian Alphabet and solemnly commemorate the 90th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide.
The Pontiff of All Armenians concluded his message by stating, "Let us kneel down beside the cradle of the Infant Jesus and ask that through the presence of God, the renewing spirit be ours as well, and the life being led towards goodness and truth be our life as well, in our Homeland and in the Diaspora. Let us all pray in unison that our compassionate Lord, through the consolation of the Holy Spirit, grant comfort to the hearts of thousands affected by the recent natural disaster in the countries of the Far East, and with His unending mercy, grant rest to the souls of the victims. May the peace sent from heaven be established throughout the world, and especially today for all peoples living in the dangers of war, and may divine paths lead the course of mankind towards the shores of reconciliation, justice and brotherhood; towards an improving prosperous, progressive and happy life; and towards salvation and eternity."
At the conclusion of the Divine Liturgy, the Catholicos of All Armenians offered the Service of the Blessing of the Waters, in commemoration of the Baptism of Christ in the River Jordan. The Godfather of the Cross this year was the dean of the Medical University of Yerevan, Dr. Vilen Hakobian.
In attendance for the Divine Liturgy were the President of the Republic of Armenia, Robert Kocharian; high-ranking officials of the Armenian government; members of the Supreme Spiritual Council; ambassadors and representatives of diplomatic missions and international organizations; and thousands of faithful.
Following the Divine Liturgy, a reception was held in the Pontifical Residence.
