Feast of the First Armenian Illuminators Celebrated in the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin
03.12.2022
On December 03, the Armenian Apostolic Holy Church celebrated the Feast of the Apostles St. Thaddeus and St. Bartholomew, the first Armenian Illuminators. Yet in 2014, according to the Pontifical Encyclical of His Holiness Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians, the Feast was proclaimed as Pilgrimage Day of the Holy Lance ‘Geghard’. On that day, for the Blessings of the faithful, the Holy Lance ‘Geghard’, kept in the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin is brought out.
On the occasion of the Feast, with the Blessings of His Holiness Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians; a Divine Liturgy was offered in the St. John the Baptist and St. Vardan Chapel-baptistery. The Celebrant was Rev. Fr. Ashoghik Karapetyan, Director of Mother See Museums and Archives.
The Divine Liturgy was attended by Bishops of the Mother See, Members of the Brotherhood of Mother See, Primates of the Dioceses and pilgrims from different Armenian Dioceses.
During the Divine Liturgy, His Holiness Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians; led by the ecclesiastical solemn procession, brought the Holy Lance ‘Geghard’ to St. John the Baptist and St. Vardan Chapel-baptistery.
In his sermon, Fr. Asoghik, referring to the sacrament of the feast and the mission of the church, specifically mentioned: "The Church distributes the word of God to all of us with all its power. Just as our ancestors opened their hearts to the light of God centuries ago through apostolic preaching and became followers of Christ, let us today faithfully follow Christ, follow His Holy Church and not allow the darkness to win over the light in these difficult days”.
Fr. Asoghik urged to constantly listen to the commands of the Holy Apostolic Church and to implement them in order to be worthy of the kingdom of God, which is among us, and to hold high the cross established in the Armenian world by the intercession of the apostles Saint Thaddeus and Saint Bartholomew.
At the conclusion of the Divine Liturgy, the Armenian Patriarch blessed the faithful with the “Protector” prayer and the Holy Lance ‘Geghard’, afterwards the faithful were granted the opportunity to kiss and worship the miraculous Holy Lance ‘Geghard’.
The Holy Lance ‘Geghard’ will be kept in the Chapel-baptistery of the Mother See until the end of the Evening Service.
