PRESS OFFICE
Diocese of the Armenian Church of America (Eastern)
630 Second Avenue, New York, NY 10016
Contact: Jake Goshert, Coordinator of Information Services
Tel: (212) 686-0710 Ext. 60; Fax: (212) 779-3558
E-mail: [email protected]
Website:
December 20, 2004
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Following is the Christmas message from Archbishop Khajag Barsamian,
Primate of the Diocese of the Armenian Church of America (Eastern).
Attached is the same message, in both English and Armenian.
* * *
TIDINGS OF JOY TO ALL PEOPLE
And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field,
keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord
came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and
they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, “Fear not: for,
behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all
people.” (Luke 2:8-10)
The angel promised that his “good tidings of great joy” would one day be
known by all people. But the announcement itself, on that glorious
night 2,000 years ago, was made to only a few, humble shepherds, in
fields removed from any city or village. To reach the ears of the
entire world, the announcement would have to be repeated, from person to
person, from heart to heart, from generation to generation.
And yet through all those numberless repetitions, down to the present
day, these “good tidings” have never lost their freshness. They have
never lost their ability to inspire wonder and love. They are eternally
young, and yet contain the wisdom of the ages.
It is a paradox exemplified by the church itself. Though very old by
human standards, the church at its best has never lost the ability to
inspire, delight, and awaken souls of every age with the wonderful,
surprising, “good tidings” of God’s miraculous gift to mankind. The
gift of Jesus Christ has inspired the Armenian people to the heights of
creativity and heroism, and has sustained us through every trial. At
every critical juncture of our history, we have been able to refresh
ourselves in the knowledge that our destiny lies with Him — through
whom death is vanquished, sacrifice redeemed, and despair transfigured
into winged hope.
Perhaps that ability to refresh — to renew — explains why the idea of
the youthful heart and spirit figures so prominently at Christmas. Not
“youthful” in the superficial sense of immature age, but in a broader
sense suggesting energetic vigor, unspoiled innocence, optimistic
wonder, and openness to the vast horizon of possibility. Certainly,
those are the characteristics of youth we associate with the Christmas
season. But they need not be limited to a single time of year — nor
even to the merely young in age.
This is the message our Diocese will explore in the coming year, whose
theme will be “The Year of the Youth: Passing the Torch.” While our
main objective will be to reach out to our younger generation —
inspiring and preparing them to be leaders of our church — we also want
to remind all our people, of every age, of Christ’s power to refresh the
heart and renew the spirit, to make us all worthy to accept and carry
His torch for our generation.
What is that torch? For Armenian Christians, it is the flickering flame
of our heritage and tradition, fueled by generations of creativity,
sacrifice, and simple faith. Its luminescence is the light of Christ:
the light that guided the wise men to Bethlehem; the light that shined
on our homeland 1,703 years ago; the light that illuminates, warms, and
nourishes us to this day. Always new. Ever-youthful. Unquenchable.
That is the torch we have been given: the torch we must ultimately pass
on to others, when our own day is done. In the meantime, it is ours to
tend and care for; to respect, cherish, and replenish with the energy of
our own faithful labor. Above all, the torch is meant to inspire us, to
guide our steps, to help us press on in the dark of night; to comfort
our hearts with those “good tidings of great joy” — first announced
2,000 years ago, but as fresh, new and youthful as tomorrow.
In this holy season, let us rejoice again in those good tidings, as we
proclaim:
Krisdos dzunav yev haydnetzav! Orhnyal eh haydnootiunun Krisdosee!
Christ is born and revealed! Blessed is the revelation of Christ!
With prayers,
Archbishop Khajag Barsamian
Primate
January 2005