Divine Liturgy: Constant Witness to a Miracle

Armodoxy for Today: 144 year old witness to a miracle

Last year I was in Seattle celebrating the Christmas Eve service on January 5 at the Holy Resurrection Armenian Church. I was filling in for their parish priest who was away on assignment for the Diocese. The weather was cold and wet which is expected that time of the year in the Northeast US. The Holy Resurrection Armenian Church stands just in the right position for its large stained-glass window of Christ to shine and illuminate the dark night. It was welcoming. I was greeted by the church’s deacon who led me to the vestry in preparation for the service.

At the altar table I opened the “Book of Mystery” (Khorhrtadedr) which contains the prayers, both audible and private, for the priest. The deacon pointed out the publication date printed on the first page: 1880! On the page that followed, the imprimatur  sanctioning its publication, by His Holiness Gevork IV, who served as Catholicos of All Armenians from 1866-1882.

The church filled up with worshipers and we celebrated the Divine Liturgy that evening. Young and old families gathered. The young children brighten the inside of the sanctuary as the stained-glass window had lit the outside darkness. The big “family” of the Church was present.

Every one of us was about to participate in a miracle, a miracle which may have gone unnoticed even though everyone was a part of it. There were no thunderbolts or lightning strikes to announce this miracle. In fact, this miracle had its origins before electricity even reached our houses! In front of the Holy Altar was a book, the Khnorhrtadedr, which was printed 144 years ago (in 1880), before cars or flight and much before the Genocide which tried to destroy a people. This book had made it through the Genocide, through the years of communism and was now in a spot half-a-world away from where it began, leading the worship of Armenians. The fact that we weren’t supposed to be living and are now not only alive, but worshipping Christ, singing Christos dzunav yev haydnetsav – Christ is born and revealed in all corners of the world, against all the odds is a testament to the greatest miracle of all!

The Divine Liturgy, represented by this old book, is the constant witness to the miracle.

It all fell in place that evening. We remembered the Baby in the manger, and the voices of the heavenly hosts proclaiming, “Peace on Earth and goodwill toward men.” We acknowledge this miracle and accept that we can be the agents of peace and goodwill in this world. Christ is born and revealed!

We pray, “Lord our God, Thank you for revealing your miracles in small packages. The book that leads our prayers, or the manger which holds Your Son, are Christmas miracles that we celebrate everyday. Amen.”