EMMANUEL – GOD IS WITH US!

The significance of Christmas is embedded in this simple affirmation. As we celebrate the miraculous birth of Christ, we become more cognizant of God’s perpetual presence in our lives. With the birth of Baby Jesus, God himself visits the human race, embarking on His earthly redemptive mission. God becomes incarnate to dwell with us, to give us spiritual birth so that we may align our paths and live according to His commandments and personal examples.

When we celebrate the Nativity and Theophany of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, first and foremost, we confess His divine intervention and lasting presence in our lives. We proclaim that God is with us and therefore, with that conviction, we direct our lives toward the good and the beautiful, toward divine perfection and creativity.

When we reflect on God’s presence in our lives, we experience a revelation and a spiritual rebirth, which in turn fill our lives with new resolutions, commitments and visions.

Engulfed in the spirit of New Year and Christmas, as a spiritual servant of the Holy Armenian Apostolic Mother Church, I pray to God, beseeching that He transforms our hearts and makes them a warm manger for the newborn King to abide. In our prayer, we recall the words of St. Nersess the Graceful found in the Service of Peace Hour, where he says, “And a child is born, a son has been given to us, for God is with us. And his authority is upon his shoulders, for God is with us. And his name is called messenger of great counsel, for God is with us. And wonderful counselor, for God is with us. And God the mighty prince, for God is with us. And prince of peace Father of the One to come, the Lord God is with us.”

Our ancestors lived their lives with that strong conviction that God was with them. That notion gave them strength and confidence to build the Fatherland and the Church, to create spiritual values and missions, high moral standards and culture, science and arts. They have created a great future for the generations to come, for they knew that God was with them.

Emmanuel – God is with us. When we declare this affirmation out loud, we experience a moment of self-reflection, spiritual transformation and a beginning of a new life. In addition, we acquire a higher level of spiritual self-awareness or self-confidence, if you will, to answer God’s call and re-evaluate our lives with His presence.

It is unfortunate that due to today’s life circumstances, we often times fail to season our lives with prayer. As a result, we distance ourselves from God and reject His presence, resembling an uprooted tree doomed to die in a short period of time.  In our case, having time-limited lives means being deprived from spirituality, which is truly fatal. It is part of the human nature to be inseparably united with God, without forgetting that we have been created in His image and likeness. Otherwise, we will cease to live and will wither like the uprooted tree.

Beloved in Christ,

In the Nativity and Theophany of our Lord and Savor Jesus Christ, try to discover new life perspectives. Abide in faith, uphold spiritual and moral values, open up your souls to God and keep your hearts warm for the Fatherland and the Holy Church. Do not hesitate to pass on the sacred values and traditions of our church and nation to your children, so that they may be spiritually armored to withstand any and all challenges of the time.

CHRIST IS BORN AND REVEALED!

BLESSED IS THE REVELATION OF CHRIST!

May God grant peace and prosperity to the world, continued success to Armenia, strength to the church and longevity to our Pontiff, His Holiness Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians.

Emmanuel –God is with us. May God be with our nation today, tomorrow and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

Archbishop Hovnan Derderian

Primate