Christmas Eve Candlelight Divine Liturgy in the St. Gayane Monastery
05.01.2019
On January 5, the Eve of the Holy Nativity and Theophany of Jesus Christ, under the presidency of His Holiness Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians; a candlelight Divine Liturgy was celebrated in the St. Gayane Monastery. The Divine Liturgy was attended by the Brotherhood of the Mother See; pilgrims and Benefactors of the Mother See.
The Celebrant was His Eminence Archbishop Voskan Galpakyan, member of the Brotherhood of the Mother See.
Before the Divine Liturgy, an Evening Service was held and different Bible passages were read, then four deacons of Mother See read the prophecy of Daniel.
During the Divine Liturgy, Archbishop Voskan reflected on the wonderment of the Holy Nativity and Theophany of Jesus Christ and stated in part: “God cursed Adam and excluded from the Paradise of Eden... God became a man so that the human being could reach God.
What we inherited from Adam is death, man's defeat and human subjugation to Satan. Indeed, Christ came to the world to release the cursed pre-man and the world... So, Christ was born as a human and became like us. It became a reason so that we could be released from the Adamic sin... Humanity always blesses the phenomenon that God became a man and came into the world”.
His Eminence stressed that God not only sent his Son to save the mankind but to shepherd the Church and the people.
“If God with a watchful eye always keeps New Israel: Christ's people, the subjects of the Kingdom of Christ, then what kind of responsibility do we have as heirs or citizens of that Kingdom. God fulfills his obligations: sent His Son, became a man, saved the mankind, and follows us: the New Israel, the Christian nation all the time. What is our responsibility then? Our responsibility is to listen and obey God's commands. And those commands are not difficult. The commands of Christ and the Bible are sweet and soft. If we are to follow God, if we love Him, then we should fullfill all his commandments with pleasure, we should strive and want to do them”, said the Celebrant, confirming that every Christian must firstly worship the newborn Christ, as the shepherds and mages, who left everything amd found the place of Christ's birth and extended Him their respect and worship. Archbishop Voskan also stated that through Christ’s birth peace was brought from heaven to all mankind.
At the conclusion, the Celebrant urged the faithful to pray incessantly and constantly glorify God, repent and do not commit sin in order to inherit the eternal life and the Kingdom of Heaven.
At the conclusion of the Divine Liturgy, His Holiness ascended the Holy Alter and lit a candle, symbolizing Christ, and the faithful had the opportunity to light their own candles, and take the light to their home symbolizing the light of the revealed Son of God.
Following the Divine Liturgy, the procession of clergy went to the Old Veharan where under the presidency of His Holiness Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenian; a Christmas Home-Blessing Service was offered.
