Every good real estate agent can tell you that the number one rule in real estate is location, location, location. Repeating it three times emphasizes its importance. Identical homes can increase or decrease in value due to their location.. So choose location wisely when purchasing.
The same rule holds true in life with the exception that in life only one of the three locations is chosen by us, the client, while the other two are more of chance landings. We are all born into this world – into this life – without our consent. We have no choice as to when or where we are born. On the other end, we may feel we have more to say about our death, but often it takes place without our consent. The only location that we have control over is the third one, which is the life spent between birth and death.
This three location reality is best understood by glancing at a gravestones. Most of them have three symbols etched on them. The first is the person’s date of birth. We have no control over when or where we are born. The second location is the date of death. The third symbol is the dash that separates the date of birth from the date of death. That dash represents our lives and is the only section of life that is mostly in our control. Some dashes are short others are long, but the real quality of the dash is its thickness.
Life and how we live it is up to us. It is the dash – the life we live – that has meaning
Once a young seminarian in a monastery, in a display of youthful pride, decided to play a trick on the one of the oldest and wisest monks. He held a butterfly in his hand and brought his fingers together to cover the small insect. He asked the monk if the butterfly was dead or alive? He thought to himself, if the elderly man answers alive, I will crush the butterfly and prove him wrong. If he answers dead, I will open my fist and the butterfly will fly out. Either way the monk will be wrong and humiliated because the young student had shown him wrong.
Approaching the monk, the young man held the captive butterfly in his fist behind his back. “Old man, tell me, is the butterfly I am holding, dead or alive?” The old monk, not to be tricked replied, “The answer is in your hand.”
Maturity of Faith, which is the theme of this week, requires us to take responsibility for our lives, to recognize that God has entrusted us with our lives and it’s up to us to be part of the answer to, “Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done.” We are the ones who fatten the dash – the life between our birth and life – and we take the responsibility on whether the butterfly flies or is crushed.
Let us pray, Lord help me to understand your love through the trust you have put into our humble efforts. tremendous trust you have in me and in humanity. Give me the strength to stand responsibly before you as I follow your commandments and do that which is pleasing in your sight. Amen.
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https://epostle.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/P1012025-scaled.jpg19202560Vazken Movsesianhttps://epostle.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/final_logo_large_for_epostle_web-300x189.pngVazken Movsesian2024-01-18 00:01:572024-01-17 12:32:13Location of the Dash
During this week, the Scriptural reading given to us by the Church follows the first miracle – the water into wine – which we encountered yesterday. John 2:12-22, shares the story of Jesus cleaning the temple.
Jesus found in the temple those who sold oxen and sheep and doves, and the money changers doing business. When He had made a whip of cords, He drove them all out of the temple, with the sheep and the oxen, and poured out the changers’ money and overturned the tables. And He said to those who sold doves, “Take these things away! Do not make My Father’s house a house of merchandise!”
In the synoptic Gospels – Matthew, Mark and Luke – a story similar to this appears as Jesus makes his final entry into Jerusalem, the day traditionally referred to as Palm Sunday. In the Gospel of John, we read the story at the beginning of his ministry. Building on the topic of “Maturity of Faith” from yesterday’s Armodoxy lesson, we may assume that the cleansing of the temple was not a singular event.
The Holy Eucharist, the Body and Blood of Jesus, is distributed and received every week. The repetitive nature of the Divine Liturgy and Holy Communion is an expression of Jesus coming into our lives, not only once, but always there to remove and cleanse all that does not belong in the sanctity of our lives.
The Gospel continues, So the Jews answered and said to Him, “What sign do You show to us, since You do these things?” Jesus answered and said to them, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up. “Then the Jews said, “It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and will You raise it up in three days?” But He was speaking of the temple of His body.
The Cleansing of the Temple is a scene right out of the movies. It speaks to people on many levels. It is the man-of-principle going up against the corporate machine. It is the individual versus the institution. Most importantly, it is Jesus Christ entering our temple, our lives. Once there, he is ready to clean house, to remove the hatred, the laziness, the envy and jealousy that are doing business there. It is up to us, as is the case in the story, whether we argue with him, stop him from doing so, or open ourselves to the cleansing he provides.
Let us pray, “Lord Jesus Christ, you enter the Temple in Jerusalem to clean out all who do not belong there. Come into the holiness of my temple and wash me thoroughly from my sin. Rid my life of pride, envy, anger, laziness, gluttony, lust and covetousness, and should they return may your Holy Body and Blood be forever cleansing me, into your Kingdom. Amen.”
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https://epostle.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/DALL·E-2024-01-16-21.16.40-digital-photo-of-a-wine-glass-that-is-being-cleansed-and-is-sparkling.png10241024Vazken Movsesianhttps://epostle.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/final_logo_large_for_epostle_web-300x189.pngVazken Movsesian2024-01-17 00:01:192024-01-16 21:21:19Three Day Cleanse
The first miracle of Jesus is recorded in the Gospel of St. John, “On the third day there was a wedding in Cana of Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there. Jesus and his disciples had also been invited to the wedding. When the wine gave out, the mother of Jesus said to him, ‘They have no wine.’ And Jesus said to her, ‘Woman, what concern is that to you and to me? My hour has not yet come.’ His mother said to the servants, ‘Do whatever he tells you.’ Now standing there were six stone water-jars for the Jewish rites of purification, each holding twenty or thirty gallons. Jesus said to them, ‘Fill the jars with water.’ And they filled them up to the brim. He said to them, ‘Now draw some out, and take it to the chief steward.’ So they took it. When the steward tasted the water that had become wine, and did not know where it came from (though the servants who had drawn the water knew), the steward called the bridegroom and said to him, ‘Everyone serves the good wine first, and then the inferior wine after the guests have become drunk. But you have kept the good wine until now.’ Jesus did this, the first of his signs, in Cana of Galilee, and revealed his glory; and his disciples believed in him. (2:1-11)
This is one of those stories that makes for great illustration by Sunday School students for their coloring assignment. The visual is a powerful one, and crayons help accent the clear water transformed to red wine. As a priest, I’ve had many people who have offered me a glass of wine, and thinking they are revealing a great riddle to me, they say, with a snicker, “Go ahead, after all Jesus changed water into wine.” They say it in such a way as if I would not have indulged had Jesus not done this little bit of magic. And sometimes with a wink, they try to imply that Jesus was interested in the inebriating characteristics of the drink.
St. Paul writes, When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child; when I became an adult, I put an end to childish ways. (I Corinthians 13:11) Unfortunately, when it comes to religion and issues of faith, often our understanding of God comes from childhood memories of these fascinating and sensationalized miracles of Jesus. The story of Jesus at the wedding in Cana is read in the Armenian Church following the Theophany to bring our attention the offering made by Christ. It is the steward at the wedding feast who notices first that the wine that Jesus offers is better than any other wine that was served.
Today our call is to take a deeper and more mature understanding of our faith. There are many dimensions to this story that speak to us once we “Put away childish ways.” In fact, many stories have so much more to offer when we can accept the sensational as normal. For instance when Jesus walks on the water, rather than searching for the stones that might be supporting him, accept that this is the One who created the water, who is lord of the water. Once we do this, then we understand the words that he speaks are from the author of Life. The words, “Love your neighbor,” “Pray for your enemies,” “Judge not, lest you be judged,” are understood as coming from the Ultimate Source of Life, not only worthy of our attention, but <em>demanding</em> our attention. Armodoxy is the view that the Creator is speaking, and so when He says, “Courage, the victory is mine, I have overcome the world” (John 16:33), it is final and definite.
Let us pray, Lord our God, You changed the water into wine in Cana of Galilee, I pray you, change the doubt to faith in my life. Let me partake of the goodness of the new wine, and accept your love, to guide and direct me, always. Amen.
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https://epostle.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/DALL·E-2024-01-15-21.56.05-Digital-art-of-a-man-quietly-offering-another-man-a-glass-of-wine-with-the-wink-of-the-eye.png594969Vazken Movsesianhttps://epostle.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/final_logo_large_for_epostle_web-300x189.pngVazken Movsesian2024-01-16 00:01:332024-01-15 21:59:17Maturity without a wink
John the Baptist, was the forerunner to Jesus. His message was a prophetic one. He spoke to the times by pointing to the current conditions and sharing a message from God, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!”
In the 1950s and 1960s, in the United States, a young pastor of a Baptist congregation spoke to the times that were wrought with discrimination and prejudice. The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was a kindred spirit to John the Baptist, in that he understood the power of the One who could change even the heart of the hardest racist. His was a prophetic call to peace through justice. He led the Civil Rights Movement in the U.S. with a keen focus on the Gospel of Jesus Christ, advocating for change through non-violent resistance.
He was the youngest person ever to receive the Nobel Peace Prize at age 35. He was even younger when he led 250,000 people in the March on Washington to deliver the memorable “I have a dream” speech.
With all of his academic and personal achievements and with all of the accolades granted to him, he would insist that his first and foremost calling was that of a minister to the Gospel of Jesus Christ. He was a master orator, articulating the power of the Gospel to liberate with love.
A prophetic voice “calling in the wilderness” is the descriptor of St. John the Baptist. The prophet points us to Jesus Christ. Rev. King was a voice in the wilderness of hatred and intolerance during the 20th century. In one of his most important writings, from a jail cell in Birmingham, Alabama, (imprisoned for civil disobedience) Rev. King penned a letter to the Christian leadership about the importance of the Church as the Body of Christ and the need to adhere to the Gospel message. He wrote,
“Yes, these questions are still in my mind. In deep disappointment I have wept over the laxity of the church. But be assured that my tears have been tears of love. There can be no deep disappointment where there is not deep love. Yes, I love the church. How could I do otherwise? I am in the rather unique position of being the son, the grandson and the great grandson of preachers. Yes, I see the church as the body of Christ. But, oh! How we have blemished and scarred that body through social neglect and through fear of being nonconformists.
“There was a time when the church was very powerful. It was during that period that the early Christians rejoiced when they were deemed worthy to suffer for what they believed. In those days the church was not merely a thermometer that recorded the ideas and principles of popular opinion; it was the thermostat that transformed the mores of society. Wherever the early Christians entered a town the power structure got disturbed and immediately sought to convict them for being “disturbers of the peace” and “outside agitators.” But they went on with the conviction that they were “a colony of heaven” and had to obey God rather than man. They were small in number but big in commitment…
“Things are different now. The contemporary church is so often a weak, ineffectual voice with an uncertain sound. It is so often the arch supporter of the status quo. Far from being disturbed by the presence of the church, the power structure of the average community is consoled by the church’s often vocal sanction of things as they are. But the judgment of God is upon the church as never before. If the church of today does not recapture the sacrificial spirit of the early church, it will lose its authentic ring, forfeit the loyalty of millions, and be dismissed as an irrelevant social club with no meaning for the twentieth century.”
Rev. King, called people to the higher standard – the extreme standard – of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. He wrote in the same document,
“But though I was initially disappointed at being categorized as an extremist, as I continued to think about the matter, I gradually gained a measure of satisfaction from the label. Was not Jesus an extremist for love: “Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you.” Was not Amos an extremist for justice: “Let justice roll down like waters and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream.” Was not Paul an extremist for the Christian gospel: “I bear in my body the marks of the Lord Jesus.” Was not Martin Luther an extremist: “Here I stand; I cannot do otherwise, so help me God.” And John Bunyan: “I will stay in jail to the end of my days before I make a butchery of my conscience.” And Abraham Lincoln: “This nation cannot survive half slave and half free.” And Thomas Jefferson: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal . . .” So the question is not whether we will be extremists, but what kind of extremists we will be. Will we be extremists for hate or for love? Will we be extremists for the preservation of injustice or for the extension of justice? In that dramatic scene on Calvary’s hill three men were crucified. We must never forget that all three were crucified for the same crime–the crime of extremism. Two were extremists for immorality, and thus fell below their environment. The other, Jesus Christ, was an extremist for love, truth and goodness, and thereby rose above his environment. Perhaps the South, the nation and the world are in dire need of creative extremists.”
A week after Theophany, with the joyous news Christ is revealed, the Armenian Church celebrates birth of John the Baptist. A week after that, in the United States we celebrate the birth of the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. The spirit of extremism, the voice crying out in the wilderness, the message of peace from the Christ Child, continues to be heralded. It is the message from our Creator, “Peace on Earth, goodwill toward men.”
A prayer offered by Rev. King, 1953, “O God our eternal Father, we praise thee for gifts of mind with which thou hast endowed us. We are able to rise out of the half-realities of the sense world to a world of ideal beauty and eternal truth. Teach us, we pray Thee, how to use this great gift of reason and imagination so that it shall not be a curse but a blessing. Grant us visions that shall lift us from worldfulness and sin into the light of thine own hold presence. Through Jesus Christ we pray. Amen.”
Rev. King, his work and writings about non-violent resistance, justice and peace are one of the cornerstones of the In His Shoes ministry. Since 2004 we have held annual retreats that explore Rev. Kings teachings and the deep connections and parellels between the plight of the African American community and the Armenian American community. For more information, search the archives at Epostle.net or write us at feedback@epostle.net.
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https://epostle.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/MLK-Extremist.jpg604922Vazken Movsesianhttps://epostle.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/final_logo_large_for_epostle_web-300x189.pngVazken Movsesian2024-01-14 22:13:402024-01-15 18:15:01Rev. Martin Luther King: Extremism, Justice, Love
Some thoughts shared with the congregation on January 5, 2024
It was Christmas Eve, five days after the New Year and we had arrived in Seattle, Washington. It was cold and wet, weather which is expected this time of the year in the Northeast. I was preparing to celebrate the Theophany Divine Liturgy and water blessing service at the Holy Resurrection Armenian Church, filling in for their parish priest who was away on assignment for the Diocese.
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, it had the sanctioning statement 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 for much before the Genocide which is a marking point for our 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 – Christos dzunav yev haydnetsav – 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.
On this Christmas eve, when we remember the Baby in the manger, and the voices of the heavenly hosts proclaiming, “Peace on Earth and goodwill toward men,” let’s acknowledge this miracle and accept that we can be the agents of peace and goodwill in this world. Christ is born and revealed!
Fr. Vazken Movsesian
https://epostle.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Khorhrtadeder.jpg16501275Vazken Movsesianhttps://epostle.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/final_logo_large_for_epostle_web-300x189.pngVazken Movsesian2024-01-13 08:05:552024-01-15 18:07:56A 144 year old witness to a miracle
The third person in the Nativity narratives is St. John the Baptist. In the Armenian Church he is celebrated as the one who baptized Jesus, (=M’grdich) and as the foreunner (=nakha-garabed). About a week after the Theophany, the Armenian Church celebrates the birth of St. John the Baptist and Forerunner to Jesus Christ.
“John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea,” writes the evangelist St. Matthew (chapter 3). John’s message was simply, “‘Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!’ For this is he who was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah, saying: “The voice of one crying in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord; make His paths straight.’”
The forerunner prepares the road for the one who is to come, and so John the Baptist, was actively preparing the people for the Revolution that was soon to come, that is, for Jesus Christ. I use the word “Revolution” intentionally, to draw attention to the uniqueness and newness/freshness of Jesus’ message. It was about to explode the society and all the conventions of the religious community. If it were not revolutionary, there would be no need for a forerunner. There is no need to prepare people to maintain the status quo.
The evangelist further describes John’s appearance as being “Clothed in camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist; and his food was locusts and wild honey.” It is important to note that this is one of the rare occasions in the Gospels that someone’s appearance is described. John was being compared to the Prophet Elijah who was, “A hairy man wearing a leather belt around his waist.” (2Kings 1:8) According to the tradition, Elijah was a forerunner to the coming of the Lord (See Malachi 4:5) and the connection between John and Elijah is made in several instances in the New Testament.
John the Baptist was the first to recognize Jesus, while still in the womb. His mother Elizabeth was a kinsman to Jesus’ mother Mary. When the two pregnant cousins met, John “Leapt in his mother’s womb” (Luke 1:41), thus he became the first to recognize Jesus, while still in utero.
This is our take-away from the Forerunner John: he knew where he stood in the salvific process. He was in complete acceptance of his position as forerunner to the Lord. In today’s terms, he knew he was the opening act to the main event. He did not try to overshadow Jesus, instead backed off and said, “A man can receive nothing unless it has been given to him from heaven. You yourselves bear me witness, that I said, ‘I am not the Christ,’ but, ‘I have been sent before Him.’ He who has the bride is the bridegroom; but the friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly because of the bridegroom’s voice. Therefore, this joy of mine is fulfilled. He must increase, but I must decrease.” (Luke 1)
Let us pray, “Lord our God, Jesus Christ, who came to the River Jordan to be baptize by John. May my soul be humbled as I stand in your presence. May I find my calling in your service. May the example of John the Forerunner remind me to always seek the Glory of God and not my own. Amen.
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https://epostle.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Revolution-1.jpg4001034Vazken Movsesianhttps://epostle.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/final_logo_large_for_epostle_web-300x189.pngVazken Movsesian2024-01-12 00:01:332024-01-11 20:33:04Post Theophany: John Forerunner & Baptist
Mary, the mother of Jesus, is the first of all the saints in the Church. In the Armenian Church she is referred to the Asdvadzadzin (= Bearer of God) or Asdvadzamayr (= Mother of God). These titles tell us more about the primacy of Jesus Christ in our Faith, than they do about Mary, but they point to the reverence with which we must approach the Blessed Mother.
Unique in the Christian story, Mary is chosen by God to bear the Christ Child. We encounter Mary in the Scriptures at the Conception, the Birth, in the adolescent period of Jesus and finally at the Crucifixion, at the foot of the Cross watching as her child is beaten, tortured and killed by the same humanity for which he came to save. Mary is the only witness, according to Scripture, of Jesus’ life from “cradle to grave.” Though it may be possible that Joseph lived as long, there are no details of his life beyond the story of Jesus at age 12. (Luke 2:41-49).
While much has been said and written throughout the centuries about Mother Mary, her story is a simple one which takes place in the first two chapters of the Gospels of St. Matthew and St. Luke. Even more, the simplicity of Mary’s story can be summarized in one word: Yes! Mary, the Holy Mother of God, is revered and set apart from all the saints because of a simple and courageous “Yes” that she said to God’s invitation.
The story of that “Yes” cannot be more eloquently expressed than it is in the Gospel of St. Luke (chapter 1),
Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. And having come in, the angel said to her, “Rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women!”
But when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and considered what manner of greeting this was. Then the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name Jesus. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David. And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end.”
Then Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I do not know a man?”
And the angel answered and said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you…” Then Mary said, “Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her.
Mary’s “Yes” to the angel is simple, yet powerful. It seems to have flowed off of her tongue, yet took the courage of a lifetime to utter. Mind you, we’re talking about 2000 years ago, in the Middle East. This story is not in 21st century USA. The sentence for unwedded pregnancy was death, not to mention the humiliation, dishonor and stigma it cast on your family. The pressure, both real and psychological to say “No” was great, and so the value of that “Yes” was beyond measure. And so it was that her “Yes” changed the course of human history, for unto her a child was born who is the Son of God.
Now, invite Mary’s action to your 21st century. Every day and every moment we are asked to bring Christ into this world. Christ is the incarnation of love. By loving, caring, being empathetic to the needs of others, we are bringing Christ into this world, we are saying “Yes” to God. It’s as simple as that and the level of difficulty to do so, is up to us. Armodoxy is a testament to a people who have chosen to bear Christ to the world. It has not been easy, but the reward has been great. Every Armenian Church altar bears the image of St. Mary presenting, offering, Jesus Christ, Love to the world. Every altar is a reminder that this “Yes” changes human history.
We pray, “Lord, Jesus Christ, your holy mother said yes to the invitation to bear you and present you to the world. You came into a world of darkness and brought light, into a world of hate and preached love. I say Yes today, to bring light and love to a hurting world. Shine in my life, move me in the paths of your love, always. Amen.”
In the Nativity narratives there are three people who are essential to the plot line: St. Mary, of course, St. Joseph and the Forerunner, St. John the Baptist. Let’s have a look at the one who is least discussed and often forgotten, Joseph, the husband of Mary, the Mother of Jesus. He is described as such, because as the Gospels record, “After … Mary was betrothed to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Spirit. Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not wanting to make her a public example, was minded to put her away secretly. But while he thought about these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, ‘Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take to you Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.’” (Matthew 1)
According to the Scriptures and Church Tradition, Joseph was a carpenter by trade and lived in Nazareth in Galilee. He is described as a righteous man, and a devout man of faith, as is evidence by his obedience to God’s command. St. Matthew continues, “Then Joseph, being aroused from sleep, did as the angel of the Lord commanded him and took to him his wife, and did not know her till she had brought forth her firstborn Son. And he called His name Jesus.”
Joseph was the adoptive father of Jesus, who raised the child Jesus as his own. In the Western Church, he is regarded as the patron saint of adoptions.
Joseph gives us a very special example to apply to our lives. When we pray, we articulate, “Thy Kingdom come, Thy Will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” We ask that God’s Will be evident in our lives, here on earth. The reason Jesus instructs us to pray those words is because the way that His Will can be manifest in this world is through our participation. We pray and articulate it as such to remind us of our participation in the Kingdom. Joseph understood that if God’s Kingdom was to come, his participation was essential. And so against all the odds, against the conventions and norms of the day, against the possibilities of a virgin birth (which are none), against the put downs of gossiping mouth, and humiliation by members of his own community, Joseph says, “Thy Will be Done” and obediently follows the order to take Mary as his wife.
Some of the hardest solutions in this world begin by us simply accepting the responsibility to be a participant in God’s Kingdom. Joseph gives up his comfort and his dreams to ensure the Kingdom in enacted, “on Earth as it is in Heaven.”
Let us pray, from a traditional prayer dedicated to the Blessed husband, “Oh, St. Joseph, whose protection is so great, so strong, so prompt before the throne of God. I place in you all my interests and desires. Oh, St. Joseph, do assist me by your powerful intercession, and obtain for me from your divine Son all spiritual blessings, through Jesus Christ, our Lord. I never weary of contemplating you, and Jesus asleep in your arms; I dare not approach while He reposes near your heart. Press Him in my name and kiss His fine head for me and ask him to return the Kiss when I draw my dying breath.
https://epostle.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/IMG_6102-scaled-e1704864143176.jpeg15011710Vazken Movsesianhttps://epostle.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/final_logo_large_for_epostle_web-300x189.pngVazken Movsesian2024-01-10 00:01:422024-01-09 21:29:05Post-Theophany: Joseph
The Armenian Church has unique readings for every day of the calendar year. These are daily prescriptions for the soul and mind, to be taken with plenty of fresh air and fresh thoughts. The fact that the Nativity stories of Jesus Christ as prescribed after the Theophany, and not before, is enough to tell us that Scripture is not meant as a history lesson, or a chronology, rather it is a means of bringing structure to our lives.
Structures are built upon foundations that are multifaceted. The fresh air blows and you start understanding in new ways that your spiritual side is living, it is evolving, it is being challenged and at the same time it is challenging to you.
Jesus was born in Bethlehem, and Mary, his mother, “Wrapped Him in swaddling cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.” (Luke 2:6) A manger is a feeding trough for animals. It is small enough for an infant baby and secure enough to make for a cozy crib. The fact that mangers are found in barns and stables, makes us believe that the first witnesses to the Birth of Christ were barn animals. These assumptions and deductions are nice ways of developing a story and contributing to a history. These are only one of the foundations found in Christianity, but not enough to sustain the structure of our spiritual life. The structure will crumble on only this foundation.
The fresh air that blows gives us fresh thoughts. For most, January 6 is referred to as “Armenian Christmas” because the Armenians are the only ones who continue to celebrate the Nativity on January 6. A spiritual life cannot be sustained on this alone. As we learned during our meditations throughout the Advent season, the feast of Theophany is an overwhelming, life-changing and life-building event. It is the acknowledgment that the God of the Universe is revealed to humanity. Thus, the foundation for our spiritual life is much deeper and sounder than a birthday celebration.
The understanding of Theophany juxtaposed next to the narrative of “no-vacancy at the inn,” now challenges us to think beyond the historical facts. Where are the mangers located in our lives? Where can God rest comfortably and cozily? Can our lives – our hearts – function as mangers and if so, how do we anticipate God growing with our lives? What kind (manner) of power would we possess? In a personal manger, where God is snuggly and cozily situated can there be room for hatred, intolerance, bigotry or racism? And thus the hear Armodoxy difference, it’s our responsibility to prepare the room, the manger, the heart, so that God can reside within.
Let us pray, O Lord our God, you are the Way, the Truth and the Life. Today, I invite you into the coziest spot in my life, dwell in me as you dwelt in the saints and keep me from temptation so I may be delivered from evil. Amen.
The Universe is an ordered system of bodies, forces and interactions. The Armenian Church organizes its liturgies and events according to a calendar. The post-Theophany period counts of 40 days to the event of “Dyaruntarch” or the Presentation, described in Luke chapter 2. It may seem a bit odd and backward, but during this post Theophany period, the events leading up to the Theophany are examine in Holy Scripture.
Often the Nativity of Christ, commonly referred to as Christmas, is considered as the first of all celebrations of Jesus Christ’s life. In fact, the Nativity, as well as every other celebration, is defined by the Resurrection, that is, the Easter celebration. In Jesus’ resurrection, death was conquered. “Christ has risen from the grave” was the first “gospel” of the Christian Church. Gospel means, the “Good News.” You might imagine that after the Resurrection, the early Christian community was completely baffled and in shock. They had witnessed the violent death of Jesus, an execution so heinously delivered that nobody would have believed that anyone could have possibly survived that death. And there was no reason to even consider Jesus’ survival because they removed his breathless body from the Cross and placed his body in a tomb. Resurrection was not even considered. But early that morning, Holy Scripture tells us, the visitors to the grave were surprised to find Jesus’ tomb empty.
The Christian Community, which became the Church, was defined by the Resurrection of Christ. “God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son” (John 3:16) finds its meaning because of the Crucifixion and Resurrection. It was because of the Resurrection that people began to inquire about Jesus and his history, that is, who is he? Where did he come from? Who are his parents? And so on…
The Gospel narratives were written to share the Good News. The Good News was contained in the person of Jesus Christ. The Nativity narratives in St. Matthew and St. Luke’s Gospels were presented to answers questions people had about Jesus’ background: What were the circumstances surrounding his birth? Where was he from? What was the connection with Joseph the Carpenter?
As you recall, in preparation for the Theophany (the Advent period we just concluded) we focused on our spiritual growth to accept the power of the Theophany. Now, we too, like the early Christians, will look a back at the stories that come from Jesus’ childhood. For this reason, the Armenian Church assigns the Nativity narratives to the days following Theophany. The stories we are all familiar with peripherally, will be the focus of our next journey on the road to the Presentation or Diaruntarch.
We begin tomorrow with the stories that lead to the Birth of Christ, from the Gospels of St. Matthew and St. Luke. Each day, we will read the Scripture and find the threads that tie the Birth of Christ, and to our lives today.
Let us pray, Lord Jesus Christ, we are in the joy celebrating your Nativity and Revelation. We stand in awe of your presence in our life. Open our hearts and our minds to all that is You, as we begin in our Scriptural study of the Nativity narratives. May your holy name be glorified today and always. Amen.
Earlier: 9i23 Music: Sacred Music of the Armenian Church, Hachig Kazarian
ome thoughts shared with the congregation on January 5, 2024
