Tag: orthodox-christianity

Christ Is Risen, So What?

Քրիստոս Յարեաւ ի մեռելոց – Christ is risen!

Who cares my dears? Who cares and so what if Christ is risen? This is a question we need to dare ask ourselves and allow it to pierce our heart and mind because who cares if Christ Jesus has is raised from the dead as we proclaim as Christians. This is not a denial of God but a challenge to us. Does the Resurrection of Christ truly matter to us? If we say yes, then in what way does it impact us? There on a large island, is a village that lived in constant fear of a great and terrible storm. For generations, they had been warned that one day a horrific storm would come with such force that nothing would survive it. So they built shelters, stored food, and spoke often about how to endure when the storm finally arrived. They taught their children and prepared them. One day, a messenger came running into the village with astonishing news: “The storm has already come—and it has passed. It has lost its power. You are no longer in danger.” The people, surprised, looked at each other and nodded politely. They thanked the man for the great news, and then turned around back to reinforcing their shelters, living in fear, as though nothing had changed. Nothing changed for the people even with the news of no more danger. The people would rather live in fear of a storm, rather than change their lives.

And that is the problem my dear brothers and sisters. We proclaim with joy: Christ is risen! But do we live as though death—the great storm of humanity—has truly been conquered? As Armenian Christian’s, as people who have endured persecution, and slaughter, who year after year remember the Genocide and what we have lost, who now gather proclaiming victory and sainthood of our Martyrs, those who became the foundation for us to live today, are we changed? What unites us? Fear, death, and loss? As individuals who are each battling a storm in our life, addiction, despair, hopelessness and fear, anger and arrogance, sin of all sorts, how are we changed when we proclaim hope and life in Christ? The tragedy of the story is not that the storm was dangerous—but that the people lived as though it still ruled over them, even after it had been defeated. The greatest tragedy for us my dears today is not that we have faced Genocide, not that we are seeing history repeat itself, not that we have darkness in our life.

The greatest tragedy is that we have allowed death to define us. We have allowed defeat, and persecution to unite us. We haven’t changed. We have placed our trust in the weakness of people to give us peace rather than the power of God. And so I ask, who cares if Christ is Risen, who cares that our martyrs are recognized as saints, who cares if we are able to gather and pray in our own language, in our Mother Church, who cares if we have been able to have families, dance and sing, love and grow, who cares when internally in our hearts and minds nothing has changed? If we care, how are we different? The St. Paul declares: “If Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins… But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep” (1 Corinthians 15:17,20). If we truly believe that Christ is Risen my dears, then no genocide, no worldly authority, no storm, no darkness, no sin, no addiction, no pain, no worldly ideologies can define who we are; it cannot devalue us or break us.

That is why St. John Chrysostom proclaims, “let no one fear death, for the Savior’s death has set us free.” In other words, my dears, our strength, our response, our hope and our transformation is not merely found in words, but in the life we live. We need to be transformed and changed. Our how and why needs to be grounded in that Good News that the Storm has passed. How and why we love, how and why we go to Church, build careers and families, how and why we treat one another and ourselves with compassion, how and why we are here, how and why we are united, must be changed from fear of suffering, from anger, from shame into life with God. We are not united merely by shared history of death, but by the blood of Christ Jesus. Blood, that our martyrs gave; Blood that demands response; What kind of response, what kind of change?

Humility, compassion and forgiveness. Humility to recognize we don’t have all the answers, humility to recognize that neither our brokenness nor our achievements in this life determine our value but the love of God, humility to come to Church focusing on God and not others. Too many of us whether we come to Church every Sunday or once a year, we come with arrogance. We look at the people around us and judge them for how they dress, how the speak, how they vote, how they live, and we think, “at least we’re not like them.” And it’s true! We aren’t like them. We are far worse! Because the worst patient that a doctor can have is one who thinks they don’t need healing and therefore ignore everything the doctor says. The Holy Church is a hospital, St. John Chrysostom teaches, for the sick and broken who are seeking healing, not a palace where we are looking to be glorified. God is who we glorify, not our egos.

This leads into compassion, and recognizing that just as I am suffering, just as others are suffering, we are all looking for peace, for healing, for love from God. And we can begin to therefore, forgive others and ourselves, because we know that nothing, no failure, no sin, not even death or genocide can separate us from God. Yes, we will feel hurt, yes, we will demand justice, but we know that our value is not determined by others but by God. And that is why we care. That is the so what to Christ being Risen. That with Christ we too are risen, we also live, and we will love and grow! We live today not because we fear death, not because we fear storms, but because our ancestors, our parents, placed their trust in God even when they faced immanent death. If Christ is Risen, then how do we respond?

The early Christians, our ancestors, did not merely believe in the Resurrection—they lived it. They faced persecution as they marched through the deserts, they gave without counting the cost and loved in a way that astonished the world. Because they knew that Christ had destroyed death, and nothing—not even suffering—could separate them from His life. If we truly believe, then we must care with our whole being. We must care enough to change, to struggle, to repent, to forgive, to love. We must care enough to live as those who have already begun to rise with Christ. For the Resurrection is not only something that happened to Christ—it is something that must happen in us. Do not be like the villagers who heard the good news but continued to live in fear. Instead, be witnesses—living witnesses—that Christ is risen. That we are risen. In our thoughts, in our words, in our actions, the world will see that death no longer reigns, that love is stronger than hatred, that hope is stronger than despair. For Christ is risen—and we will rise!                

Over the Weeks, Months and Years…

Daily Readings: Acts 5:34-6:7; James 3:1-12; John 1:1-17
Ընթերցուածքներ` Գործ. Ե 34- Զ 7; Յակ. Գ 1-12; Յով. Ա 1-17

Christ is Resurrected from the Dead – Blessed Is the Resurrection of Christ
Քրիստոս Յարեաւ ի Մեռելոց – Օրհնեալ է Յարութիւնն Քրիստոսի

In 2007 I remember joining a group of Armenian Church youth from Canada who traveled to Armenia as volunteers. We lived in villages in Armenia while doing volunteer construction work, teaching the local kids, while also going on excursions to see the beauty and history of Armenia. It filled us all with pride and uplifted our spirits, because we felt a much deeper and appreciative connection to our homeland. When we returned home, we all stayed closely connected, we all attended more Armenian cultural and religious events. We appreciated where we were from and wanted to do more. Yet, over the weeks, months and years, this feeling disappeared. Many in the group stopped attending Church and cultural events, almost all of us stopped messaging each other, and life went on. Many years later, while I was a student in Jerusalem, I met a group of Armenian Church youth who from this Diocese came to Jerusalem as pilgrims. I witnessed the raw emotions and internal questions of faith, as the young men and women, walked the path of Jesus, prayed in ancient temples in their Armenian language, saw the history of not just the world but of our own people in the world. And revitalized, everyone returned to their parishes where they began actively attending their Churches, reading their Scriptures, going to Bible Study, wanting to learn more. Yet, over the weeks, months and years, this feeling disappeared. Life got busy, dating, marriage, careers, and so forth took priority and everything else stopped.

Perhaps my dears we have all felt this way at some point. Not just by going to Armenia or Jerusalem, but even in our everyday lives. When we feel connected and revitalized to do better, work harder, go to the gym, eat healthier, study more, and be more prayerful. Yet, over the weeks, months and years, this feeling disappears. Last week, we celebrated Holy Week, the high point and most difficult religious Christian experience of the reality of Christ Jesus’ being betrayed, tortured and killed for our sins. And the week climaxed with Easter Badarak, with the resounding words of Christ Is Risen, where we witnessed our Churches were filled with faithful. We felt good looking in the pews and seeing how the Church was full. And yet, we are now 1 week later, what changed? Today our Eastern Orthodox brothers and sisters are celebrating Easter, the Resurrection of our Lord, what will change for them next week? Will Church be full? Will we still be energized? What changed? My dear brothers and sisters, nothing has changed and that is the problem.

Our faith must change us, must renew us, and transform us. When we live our faith, it means we need to be changed by it so that what we feel is not merely an emotion but a reality. In the same way when we go to Armenia, when we go on a pilgrimage to Jerusalem, when we volunteer, when we try to better ourselves; if all we are doing is on the surface, eventually that feeling stops, success fails and we go back to being disconnected. Christ Jesus changed death into life, Christ Jesus changed brokenness and rejection into love and hope. That is what our faith is, a response to be changed, and transformed. Changed in how we behave, how we think, and overall live out our lives. Changes that take place over the smallest things, which is why James in his letter gives the example of the rudder on the boat, or the small flame that engulfs the forest. Small changes in how we live. God isn’t saying we need to become hermits or stop everything else but rather, my dears, God wants us to be with Him in our everyday, by recognizing His love. A love that teaches us every day Christ is born and revealed for us, everyday Christ is Risen from the Dead for us. And every day, Christ walks with us.

Elder Paisios of Mt. Athos says, “For true monks and believers, every week is Holy Week. When you think divine thoughts, you live through these holy events. You are transformed.” In other words, we don’t need a date in the calendar to respond and celebrate God’s love. We need only to humble ourselves, and seek Him daily, come to the light and be renewed. Today in the Armenian Church we call it “new Sunday” or “re-Easter”, because we again having been renewed celebrate God’s presence in our life, as His children. That is why in the Gospel we remember, “But to all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God; who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.” To become, as in to be something they were not, receive something we don’t have; and we are called to become, receive His love and be changed into the children of God. For each of us this path is different, for each of us this process is different, yet for all of us it begins with Christ Jesus. And over the days, weeks, months and years, faith will not disappear but we will be changed.

Come and pray, seek and ask, thirst and drink. Don’t wait for Christmas and Easter, or an arbitrary day in the year to begin walking with God. God loves us every day! Christ calls all of us daily and send the Holy Spirit to show us the way, providing us the means by which we can truly be changed, and transformed. And seeing the wonderous and glorious works of God we will always be revitalized and strengthened in our faith, and we will continue sharing His light with this darkened world. May the grace and love of our Lord Jesus Christ be with us all, Amen!

“6-7”?

Passages: Is. 56:1-57:20; Eph. 4:17-5:14; Lk. 16:1-31
Ընթերցուածքներ՝ Եսայ. ԾԶ 1- ԾԷ 20; Եփես. Դ 17- Ե 14; Ղկ. ԺԶ 1-31

In the Name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, Amen!

In a world with options and ever-growing trends, it’s often difficult to keep up to date, be in the know, and always stay relevant. Whether its fashion, music, celebrities, or technology, the world around us is constantly growing. This past summer at camp, the kids kept laughing and lifting up their hands in a dance, each time an instructor would say the numbers 6-7, because it had become popularized through the song “Doot Doot (6 7)”. What about parachute pants? Or mesh shirts? What does it mean if someone says, “Austin 3:16” or if begin a song with the words, “I wanna be the very best, like no one ever was…”? How many of us remember these trends Especially with social media, new trends spread fast and if you’re not on Tik Tok, or other social media, or if you don’t have a kid at home who is following along, you’ll get left behind. Yet, even as adults, we have our trends, things we pay attention to. The economy, war, the news, things happening at work, etc. If we don’t pay attention, if we don’t stay up to date, we will get left behind.

As Christian’s, we recognize that everything we have in life, our body, our wealth, our material possessions, technology, money, etc. are blessings given to us by God. They give us joy and provide for us means to make friends, build relationships, help those who perhaps are unable to have or who are struggling for whatever reason. It is for this reason in the Gospel today, we read, “And I tell you, make friends for yourselves by means of unrighteous mammon, so that when it fails, they may receive you into the eternal habitations.” The unrighteous mammon is the wealth, the material, what is trending today, that we are called to use to build relationships and lift one another up. However, these words come to us at the end of the Parable of the Dishonest Steward, who was abusing what he had, and his responsibilities. In other words, my dear brothers and sisters, we need to first recognize that we are all stewards, caretakers, not masters, of what God has given us.

Yet, the truth is for too many of us, the trend, the money, our bodies, our material possessions have become the purpose of our life. In an effort to become a master over these things, we’ve become a slave to them. We see our value, our importance in what we have, or how our portfolios and 401K performs, or how trendy we are, how many likes and follows we can collect, even at the expense of others. Yet, my dear brothers and sisters, these things are not our master’s, they are tools given to us by God for a purpose. In Psalm 86 we read, “Among the gods there is none like you, Lord; no deeds can compare with yours”. Kind of strange that Scripture is acknowledging that there are gods but just that they are not like the Lord. Isn’t there only one God? Yes, my dears. However, as Christ continues in today’s passage, “we cannot serve two masters” means we need to ask ourselves, who or even what have we made into gods for us? What gives us value, or defines our purpose? Sex, drugs and rock n roll, Tik Tok, our jobs and education, what car we drive, which community we live in, what language we speak, what color of skin we were born with, who we voted for, our citizenship or immigration statues, our money, our bodies, our brokenness, our hurt, our addictions and scars? Which one of these things give us true value and purpose? None of them!

It is the love of God our Heavenly Father, the true master, who provides for us tools with a purpose – to lift each other up, heal the world, bring light to the darkness. It is the love of God the Holy Spirit, who guides us with meaning and purpose as participants in His majesty. It is the love of God the Son Jesus Christ, who takes our pains and brokenness, the rejection and irrelevance that the world says about us, and gives us life. My dears, trends change, the world is changing, what is deemed important and valuable today will be discarded and worthless or unfashionable tomorrow. God is, was and always will be the same! His love for us, even if we are the greatest sinner, will always remain; we will never be discarded or rejected by God. When we recognize our part in His Will, when we recognize that we are stewards called to take care of this world, take care of each other, and ourselves with the blessings we have in this life, than more of true richness and life will be revealed to us. We will begin to truly understand and see who God is.

But we cannot serve God and mammon. We cannot stay trendy and Holy. Be Holy my dears. Focus on your Holy Scriptures more than reading the comments on social media. Recite the words of prayer with our hands and not just lift up our hands when we hear the numbers 6-7. Come to Church not because it is filled with trendy and Holy people, but because it is filled with Christ who calls all people to Him. Use your youth to be an example of faithfulness and wisdom. Use your age and experience to draw others to God’s love. Use what blessings God has given us to be good and faithful stewards of God in this world. And this world will be healed, and we will be healed and the grace and love of God will be seen by all who seek it, giving Him glory now and forever, Amen.