Armenian Apostolic Holy Church The Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin

In the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

“Peoples rejoiced since they heard of Your Resurrection”

(Book of Hours).

 Dear Faithful, 

On the miraculous Feast of the Holy Resurrection, the whole Christian world glorifies the Risen Savior once again, who was crucified and resurrected for the atonement of the sins of mankind, granting humanity the strength to rise above suffering and the grace to inherit eternal life. The despondent and bewildered apostles, united through the Holy Resurrection and bearing the joy and consolation of the Resurrection in their hearts, spread the life-giving teachings of Christ worldwide and established God’s commandment of love in the souls of the believers.

Gathered today in the churches, we, along with the sons and daughters of our nation worldwide, feel the blessed presence of the Lord, as the apostles did gathered in the Upper Room. Together with the oil-bearing women, we see the empty tomb and hear the angelic tiding: “He is not here but has risen”.

 

The Feast of the Resurrection of Christ is a feast of the God’s infinite love for human beings, of victory over sin and death. Though our Savior’s love faced hatred and animosity, the Lord never hesitated and never gave up. Though His care for mankind encountered rejection and the truth He manifested was resisted by falsehood, nevertheless, Christ carried out His mission for the sake of the salvation of mankind, and by rising, He established reconciliation between the world and God.  Indeed, resurrection is found where the God-given love prevails. The believers are strengthened by the saving grace of the Resurrection and become worthy of everlasting life. The Resurrection revives the souls burdened with sins and keeps path of humanity firm in hope, love and justice.

Over the course of centuries, brightened by the redemption of Christ, the faith and grace of the Resurrection have transformed individuals and nations, have strengthened to face challenges and plagues, to overcome crucifixions, to rise from golgothas, and to victoriously walk the path of resurrected life. Being inspired by this truth Catholicos St. Nerses Shnorhali glorifies the miraculous Resurrection of the Lord, saying: “Peoples rejoiced since they heard of Your Resurrection”.

Dear Faithful,            

Today humankind is living through turbulent times of divisions, disagreements, and destructive paths of ethnic hatred. We are witnessing how endangered the world is with evolving political developments, which lead to serious interstate, economic, and social problems; and disrupt the harmonious coexistence of countries and peoples. Let us pray for the spirit of solidarity, mutual understanding, and cooperation to be strengthened among people, and that peace may take dominion over the whole world, especially during these days in the lives of the brotherly peoples of the Russian Federation and Ukraine. May all the complex and worrisome situations that have emerged in peoples’ lives, soon be resolved under God’s guidance to rescue the world from further disasters. Today as well Our Lord gives humanity the messages of peace, brotherhood and the call to live in godliness and with charity. It is possible to create a new life only through the path of resurrection and by living in accordance with Christ’s commandments, so that, as apostle exhorts: “Just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may walk in newness of life” (Rom. 6.4).

Dear Believers,

Today, the gospel of the Holy Resurrection brings special comfort and consolation to all our people, especially to our brothers and sisters who have experienced the horrors of war and who are still in sorrow and tribulation, living under conditions of unstable peace and shaken security. Especially during these difficult times, our life is in need of both faith and acts of faith, in order to perpetuate the joy of resurrection and be embellished with new accomplishments and patriotic achievements. The resurrected life in our national perception also means common sense, loyalty to the homeland, and unwavering devotion to the nation regardless of political views and disagreements. In that spirit, we must reject from our lives indifference, the intolerable and destructive compliance; and bring strength, unity, and progress to our people around the world and prosperous future to generations.

Today we are all concerned with the issues facing our country, the security of our statehood, external challenges, and social and internal political troubles and tensions. We are concerned about the difficult situation in the sacred relic of our homeland, Artsakh, which  still continues to be subject to provocations and aggressive actions. 

Dear People of Artsakh, 

We know very well your heroic spirit, your characteristic courage, and your strong will to resist adversity. We are convinced that the difficulties will not oppress you and you will continue to develop your native homeland, relying on God and having unshakeable hope and faith that compassion and justice will prevail and that the luminous dawn of the recognition of the right of Artsakh to live freely and independently will come.     

Dear Faithful,

 Through the joint efforts of the entire nation, let us help and support our homeland Armenia and Artsakh, which undergoes severe tribulations, let us lend a helping hand to our sisters and brothers who are in dire need.  And strengthened with the hope of the Resurrection, let us make our beloved homeland a true shrine of the miraculous Resurrection. As Catholicos, we pray to the resurrected Lord for the Armenian nation to receive the reward for her sufferings and revive the country through joint efforts.

With such prayerful wishes and with the tidings “Christ is risen from the dead”, We convey our brotherly greetings to the incumbents of the hierarchical sees of our Apostolic Holy Church; His Holiness, Aram I, Catholicos of the Great House of Cilicia; the Armenian Patriarch of Jerusalem, Archbishop Nurhan Manoogian; the Armenian Patriarch of Constantinople, Archbishop Sahak Mashalian; to the heads of our Sister Churches asking the Lord for His heavenly blessings and support to bestow upon them and to grant many years of successful and fruitful leadership. We bring our pontifical love and best wishes to all of the clergy of our Holy Church and to all the faithful in the homeland and in the Diaspora. 

On this luminous Easter morning we extend our prayer to God and ask that Christ our Savior pour the graces of His Resurrection upon the lives of mankind, that He keep our homeland and our people in the diaspora under the protection of His Holy Hand, and grant peace, prosperity, and security. May our nation, strengthened by the life-giving mystery of the Resurrection, walk towards the realization of the sacred aspirations and visions of our ancestors, for the glory of our country and eternal prosperity of our people. May the love, care, and mercy of the Lord be a haven to our nation and homeland, today and forever. Amen.

Christ is risen from the dead,

Blessed is the Resurrection of Christ.