Prelate’s New Year And Christmas Message
Friday, December 28th, 2012 | Posted by Contributor
Western Prelat Archbishop Moushegh Mardirossian
Guided By The Ideal Model Of The Holy Family
As we prepare to put yet another year behind us and welcome the dawn
of a New Year and rejoice in the Glorious Nativity and Theophany of
our Lord Jesus Christ, we reflect on that first Christmas and the
timeless and inspirational messages it brings of love, hope,
faithfulness, and family. On that silent and holy night centuries
ago, an angel of the Lord appeared to the shepherds and brought them
the `good tidings of great joy’ (Luke 2:10) that the Savior, the
Messiah, had been born. The angel is joined by a heavenly host who
proclaim, `Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill
toward men!’ (Luke 2:14) The Son of God, the King of Kings, was born
in a humble manger in humble circumstances, but brought to mankind a
powerful and everlasting message of love, hope, peace, and salvation
that enriched the hearts and souls of man and brought mankind from
darkness to light.
During these holy days, our thoughts turn to the Holy Family of Jesus,
Mary, and Joseph. God chose to reveal Himself by being born into a
human family, and that family must become the perfect example and
ideal model for our own families. `And the Word became flesh and
dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only
begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.’ (John 1:14)
When we read of the events surrounding the Birth of our Lord Jesus
Christ we learn of the many trials faced by the Holy Family before,
during, and after the Birth of Christ. From the Virgin Mary’s
unimaginable surprise at being told she had conceived through the Holy
Spirit, to Joseph’s understandable emotions at hearing the startling
news, to the circumstances of His Birth in a manger, the family being
forced to flee to Egypt for refuge to escape the wrath of Herod,
losing Jesus for three days when He was twelve years old, witnessing
the growing hostility towards Him during His earthly ministry, and
most agonizing of all, Mary watching Her Son die on the Cross.
Throughout this lifetime of trials and tribulations, what kept the
Holy Family together was love and faithfulness, towards each other and
towards God.
In the Holy Bible, we read of the many instances of the faithfulness
of our forefathers that led to the fulfillment of the prophecy of
Christ’s Birth; from Abraham and Sarah, to Simeon and Anna, to Joseph
and Mary. Throughout their struggles they could have given up on
God’s promise. But what set them apart was that they all remained
faithful. The love and faithfulness of the first Christians, the
champions of our faith, must remain the inspiration and guide for us
today in our individual and collective families. Like families from
the time of Abraham, we are asked to heed God’s call for our own
families, accept and trust His will for our lives, and always be ready
to fulfill what He expects of us. `Only fear the Lord and serve him
faithfully with all your heart. For consider what great things he has
done for you.’ (1 Samuel 12:24)
Dear faithful,
Christmas is about celebrating the love and hope that was promised to
mankind through the Birth of our Lord Jesus Christ, and also a time to
reflect on the value and sanctity of family.
When we speak of family we are not necessarily referring to blood
relations. Each one of you has your own family. But as children of
God, children of the Armenian Apostolic Church, and faithful
parishioners of the Western Prelacy, each of you also belongs to a
larger family. Thus, we must emulate the example and virtues of the
Holy Family not just in our immediate families, but in the larger
family of the Church of which we are all members. Moreover, as
Armenians, we belong to an even larger family. The Armenian people
are found in all parts of the world, but no matter the distance
between us, we are all members of the same family; and we will remain
so during both times of peace and especially in times of difficulty,
when more than ever we need to join together and work in unity and
harmony to overcome obstacles and fulfill our true potential. As one
family, we share the joys and successes of one another, and we also
share sorrows and difficulties. The Armenian nation has had many
tragedies and afflictions throughout its history, and sadly this
continues to the present day. Our brothers and sisters in Armenia,
Artsakh, and Javakh still face a great deal of trials in many aspects;
politically, economically, socially, and in other areas. Most
disheartening is the current situation of our brethren in Syria who
for more than twenty-one months have been caught as innocent
bystanders in a deadly conflict. They have suffered and continue to
suffer on a daily basis. Just as we have come to the aid of our
brethren in Armenia, Artsakh, Lebanon and Iraq in their time of need,
it is gratifying to see that Armenians worldwide mobilized to help the
Syrian-Armenian community and are continuing to do so. The successes
of one are the successes of all, and the troubles of one are the
troubles of all. Thus, as members of this larger family, each and
every one of us must continue to do our part, our share, for the
greater good of the family. Guided by the ideal of the Holy Family we
must continue to work together in love, peace, and harmony as a unit,
with love and faithfulness to one another and to God. `Let not
steadfast love and faithfulness forsake you; bind them around your
neck; write them on the tablet of your heart.’ (Proverbs 3:3)
Dear loved ones,
His Holiness Catholicos Aram I has proclaimed 2013 as the `Year of the
Armenian Mother’. Just as the Holy Family is the archetype for our
families, so is the Holy Mother of God the timeless and perfect role
model for women, and especially mothers. The virtues of the Virgin
Mary as a woman who lived in constant accordance with the will of God
transcend both time and culture and have remained a source of
inspiration for women throughout the centuries.
For women and mothers, the Virgin Mary teaches the value and
importance of faith, complete trust, piety, and humility. Although
she experienced times of sorrow and despair, she always trusted in the
Lord and continued on because she knew it was part of God’s greater
plan. She trusted the Lord fully and did not question His authority or
will for her life. The Virgin Mary is described in the Gospels as
most pure, most prudent, most humble, most faithful, most devout, most
obedient, most poor, most patient, most merciful, and most sorrowful.
Today’s woman should reflect on these virtues and strive to implement
them in her own life. As the heart of her family, today’s mothers are
called to follow in the ideal example of the Holy Mother of God and
create their own holy family units with Christ as the core. For
although we live in a different age, God’s expectations of us, His
children, has not changed and will not change.
As we ring in the New Year and ceremoniously celebrate the miraculous
and wondrous Birth and Theophany of our Lord Jesus Christ, we pray for
Almighty God to bless our families and help us to live as the Holy
Family, united in mutual love, faithfulness, and peace.
May the love, faith, harmony, and goodwill that was at the heart of
the Holy Family radiate within our extended Prelacy family of Clergy,
Councils, Delegates and Boards of Trustees, faithful parishioners,
educators, sister organizations, sponsors and friends, guiding us in
fulfillment of our collective mission as we serve for His glory and
for the splendor of the Armenian Apostolic Church and the Armenian
people.
A HAPPY AND BLESSED NEW YEAR
TO ALL
CHRIST IS BORN AND REVEALED
BLESSED IS THE REVELATION OF CHRIST
Prayerfully,
Arch. Moushegh Mardirossian
Prelate, Western United States
New Year and Christmas 2013
http://asbarez.com/107401/prelate%E2%80%99s-new-year-and-christmas-message-3/