Of the thousands of books written about Jesus, I often opt to read works that challenge me to view things from a different, perhaps new, perspective. One such book is a work of fiction by Nicholas Kazantzakis, called The Last Temptation of Christ. It was written in 1955, stirring up controversy and then in 1988 it was produced into a film stirring up objections from conservative and orthodox Christians.*
The story by Kazantzakis is well researched and thought out. He lays out the plot as follows: The crucified Messiah is given His “last temptation” on the cross. He is given the opportunity to see life beyond the cross, to know the joys of a family life, share memories with friends and live to a ripe old age. He is given the opportunity to have the same dreams as do all men and to be as all men. Yet he resists temptation. He says “no” to all the trappings of this world and opts to do His Father’s Will instead.
The gift of free-will, that is, to choose to do otherwise, is one of the greatest gifts given to us by God. In this novel, we are given a “what-if” scenario, and an opportunity to work-through the natural temptation to live without suffering, and to die a peaceful death. It gives us an opportunity to view the story from yet another perspective.
Jesus chose the Cross. In that choice we find how tightly Love and the Cross are tied together.
Today’s prayer is from the Gospel of John, chapter 12, the words of Jesus, which say, Most assuredly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it produces much grain. He who loves his life will lose it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. If anyone serves Me, let him follow Me; and where I am, there My servant will be also. If anyone serves Me, him My Father will honor.
As part of the Passion narratives, most everyone knows that Simon Peter denied Jesus three times. At the most critical time, as Jesus is being tried, convicted and sentenced to death, Peter, his close friend and disciple, denies that he knows Jesus. Few may know that, after the Resurrection, Peter had an opportunity to show his remorse by expressing his love for the Lord. In the Gospel of John (21) we follow a dialogue between Jesus and his disciple, Simon Peter:
So when they had eaten breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me more than these?”
He said to Him, “Yes, Lord; You know that I love You.”
He said to him, “Feed My lambs.”
He said to him again a second time, “Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me?”
He said to Him, “Yes, Lord; You know that I love You.”
He said to him, “Tend My sheep.”
He said to him the third time, “Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me?” Peter was grieved because He said to him the third time, “Do you love Me?”
And he said to Him, “Lord, You know all things; You know that I love You.”
Jesus said to him, “Feed My sheep.
Some refer to this episode as the Reinstatement of Peter, that is, he denied Jesus thrice and now he acknowledges his love thrice, and the sheep metaphor referring to his pastoral position within the Church. We call it forgiveness, pure and simple, in a manner that only God can give and only God can understand.
Jesus was about forgiveness. The message of forgiveness was taught with words and then he demonstrated the same from the Cross and after the Resurrection when he forgave his friend Peter. Often in life, we hear about horrendous acts committed by people, but their forgiveness is between them and God.
Let us pray, Searcher of secrets, I have sinned against you, willingly and inadvertently, knowingly and unknowingly. Grant forgiveness unto me a sinner; since from my birth through the holy baptism, until this day, I have sinned before you Lord, with all my senses and in all the members of my body. Have mercy upon your creatures, and on me, a sinner. Amen.
Cover Photo: Epostle 2025
https://epostle.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Peter-reinstated.jpg11251125Vazken Movsesianhttps://epostle.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/final_logo_large_for_epostle_web-300x189.pngVazken Movsesian2025-05-05 00:01:592025-05-04 19:55:58Post Easter: Peter On Board
Immediately after the Resurrection of Christ, Scripture tells us that Jesus appeared to the disciples “Over a period of forty days and spoke about the Kingdom of God.” (Acts 1)
The Kingdom of God is often thought of as something or some place that is accessible only after we pass from this life. Jesus refers to the Kingdom as something accessible in the here and now. “The Kingdom of God is at hand,” was a message John the Baptist heralded even before Christ’s baptism. It was enacted by Christ and the active Church today.
Access to the Kingdom is available for everyone. The condition is to live a life of love demonstrated by action. In the Gospel of Matthew, chapter 25, Jesus speaks of the Kingdom predicated on our actions of readiness and good deeds. Standards of goodness have no limits for Jesus, as is demonstrated in the Parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10). Even more, non-action is grounds for expulsion from the Kingdom.
We read: Then the King will say to those on His left…, ‘Depart from Me, you cursed… for I was hungry and you gave Me no food; I was thirsty and you gave Me no drink; I was a stranger and you did not take Me in, naked and you did not clothe Me, sick and in prison and you did not visit Me.’ Then they also will answer Him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to You?’ … He will answer them, saying, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.’
The world we live in is real. The problems that plague it are under our control. We are the agents of Christ. Thy Kingdom come, Thy Will be done, happens with our involvement. You can’t close yourself off from the suffering in the world.
We pray, St. Nersess Shnorhali’s 9th hour of prayer, All-provident Lord, place a guard before my eyes, so that I may not look lustfully, before my ears, not to delight in hearing evil discourses, before my mouth, not to speak falsehood, before my heart, not to think of wickedness, before my hands, not to commit injustice, before my feet, not to walk on the paths of righteousness; rather, guide my motives, that they may be according to all your commandments. Amen.
Cover: Once you see it, it’s impossible to not see it. (Quite literally too!)
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The Gospel tells us that Jesus appeared to the disciples on several occasions after the Resurrection. During that first week, every time he appeared to the disciples, Thomas, who was called the Twin was not present. In fact, Thomas doubted the others had seen the Resurrected Lord, hence he is referred to as Doubting Thomas. He said, “Unless I see in His hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and put my hand into His side, I will not believe.”
Thomas was eclipsed from the bearer of Light as a follower of Jesus, to the darkness of disbelief.
We read in John, chapter 21:
And after eight days His disciples were again inside, and Thomas with them. Jesus came, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, “Peace to you!” Then He said to Thomas, “Reach your finger here, and look at My hands; and reach your hand here, and put it into My side. Do not be unbelieving, but believing.”
And Thomas answered and said to Him, “My Lord and my God!”
Jesus said to him, “Thomas, because you have seen Me, you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”
The eclipse is over! Thomas’ proclamation was complete and total: “My Lord and my God!” And note that he did not put his fingers on the marks of the nail. Thomas was transformed from unbelieving to believing.
Most Christians come to Christ without seeing the physical Jesus, but they come to believe because they have seen his works – the love in the world.
Let us pray, Almighty and ever living God, who strengthen your apostle Thomas with sure and certain faith in Your Son’s Resurrection: Grant us so perfectly and without doubt to believe in Jesus Christ, our Lord and our God, that our faith may never be found wanting in Your sight; through Him who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.
A week after Jesus had resurrected, the Apostle Thomas stands out from the group of Disciple by doubting the Resurrection. He is not with the others when Jesus appears and when they try to convince him that they have seen the “Risen Lord” he doubts their word. “Unless I see in His hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and put my hand into His side, I will not believe.” Thomas is forever more known as “Doubting Thomas” because of this hesitancy to believe and accept what was physically impossible.
My guess is that most of us would be just as skeptical over such news that goes against everything we know through experience. Every person who has been laid to rest has remained in their grave or cremated to ashes. No one, in our experience, as well as in Thomas’ experience for that matter, has ever come back to life. Resurrection begs doubting.
Doubting has a bad name. Many think it is the opposite of faith. Actually, fear is the opposite of faith. Doubt is the beginning of the questioning and reasoning process that leads us to understand, to accept and believe. It is the beginning of the Faith process. From doubt comes question and an opportunity to reason, think, process and come face-to-face with our fear. Having put away our fears, we come to terms with our Faith.
Doubting is a normal part of our thought and learning process. Stifling that progression of ideas leads to misunderstandings about ourselves and the harmony that we should have with life and the world around us.
It is okay to doubt. It is okay to question. It is okay to think/ponder the great miracle of Life. Accept the invitation that Jesus extended to Thomas, “Reach your finger here, and look at My hands; and reach your hand here, and put it into My side. Do not be unbelieving, but believing.”
From the Book of Hours we pray, Lord our God, my soul is in Your care at all times, and I trust in Your Holy Cross. I have the multitude of saints as my intercessors before you. You are forbearing toward all, do not disregard those who rely on You, but protect them with peace by Your precious and holy Cross. Amen
Cover: Kick off the Cascade, 2019 Fr. Vazken
https://epostle.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Flicking-the-Man-off-the-Cascade.jpg23522448Vazken Movsesianhttps://epostle.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/final_logo_large_for_epostle_web-300x189.pngVazken Movsesian2025-04-30 00:01:552025-04-29 21:01:22Doubts to Faith
In the days following the Resurrection, Jesus appeared to many different people. For the most part they were his followers who saw him, and non-believers greeted the news with skepticism, neither believing the Resurrection nor the idea that there was life beyond the grave.
Much hasn’t changed in the two millennia since the Resurrection.
A week ago I came across a short parable which I’d like to share with you. I found a few different versions of the parable, a couple of the earlier drafts are by Henri J.W. Nouwen, Pablo Molinero and this particular version I found on Juli Conard’s blog.
The Parable of the Twins
In a mother’s womb were two babies. As the twins developed, their awareness grew and they laughed for joy, “Isn’t it great to be alive?”
The first baby asked the other: “Do you believe in life after delivery?”
The second baby replied, “Why, of course. There has to be something after delivery. Maybe we are here to prepare ourselves for what we will be later.”
“Nonsense,” said the first. “There is no life after delivery. What would that life be?”
“I don’t know, but there might be more light than here. Maybe we will walk with our legs and eat with our mouths.”
The doubting baby laughed. “This is absurd! Walking is impossible. And eating with our mouths? Ridiculous. The umbilical cord supplies nutrition. Life after delivery is impossible; the umbilical cord is too short.”
The second baby held his ground. “I think there is something and maybe it’s different than it is here.”
The first baby replied, “No one has ever come back from there. Delivery is the end of life, and in the after-delivery it is nothing but darkness and anxiety and it takes us nowhere.”
“Well, I don’t know,” said the twin, “but certainly we will see mother and she will take care of us.”
“Mother?” The first baby laughed. “You believe in mother? Where is she now?”
The second baby calmly and patiently tried to explain. “She is all around us. It is in her that we live. Without her, there would not be this world that we know.”
“Ha. I don’t see her, so it’s only logical that she doesn’t exist.”
To which the other replied, “Sometimes when you’re in silence you can hear her, you can perceive her. I believe there is a reality after delivery and we are here to prepare ourselves for that reality when it comes….”
As the weeks stretched into months the twins noticed how much each was changing.
“What do you think all this change means?” asked the first baby.
“It means that our stay in this world is drawing to an end,” said the second.
“But I don’t want to go,” said the first “I want to stay right here always.”
“We have no choice,” said the second, “but maybe there is life after birth!”
“But how can it be?” responded the one. “We will shed our life cord, and how is life possible without it? Besides, we have seen evidence that others were here before us and none of them have returned to tell us that there is life after birth.”
And so, the one fell into deep despair saying, “If conception ends with birth, what is the purpose of life in the womb? It is meaningless! Maybe there is no mother at all.”
“But there has to be,” protested the second baby. “How else did we get here? How do we remain alive?”
“Have you ever seen our mother?” said the one. “Maybe she lives in our minds. Maybe we made her up because the idea made us feel good.”
Thus, while one raved and despaired, the other resigned himself to birth. He placed his trust in the mother.
Hours passed into days and days fell into weeks, and it came time. And both knew that their birth was at hand. And both feared what they did not know.
And as the one was the first to be conceived, so he was the first to be born. The other followed after. And they cried as they were born out into the light. They coughed up fluid, and they gasped the dry air; and when they were sure that they had been born, they opened up their eyes and they found themselves cradled in the warm love of the mother. They lay open-mouthed, awestruck at the beauty of the mother whom they had never seen before.”
“At the place where Jesus was crucified, there was a garden, and in the garden a new tomb, in which no one had ever been laid.” With these words the Evangelist John records in his Gospel (19:41) an obscure description of where Jesus was laid to rest. In the 1970s rock-opera, Jesus Christ Superstar, Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber give a node and notice to the site by naming the final musical piece of the opera, “John Nineteen Forty-one.”
The grave site is as obscure as the Armenian Church I speak about on these broadcasts, the same Armenian Church which sits on the site and celebrates the Liturgy at this Tomb which was blasted open by the Resurrected Lord Jesus. The obscurity of the grave was overshadowed by the news – the Good News, that is the Gospel of the Resurrection.
This weekend, Pope Francis of Blessed Memory was laid to rest. He had asked that his remains not be interred at the St. Peter Basilica as many popes before him. Rather, he requested to find a resting spot at the Basilica of St. Mary Major, where one of his favorite icons, the icon of Mary Salus Popoli Romani had inspired him and became a site for the growth of his own prayer life. Hardly an obscure location, but in the context of the Basilica of St. Peter in the history of the papacy, Pope Francis’ choice reflected the humility that the was a hallmark of his life.
The Armenian Church, as the ancient witness to Jesus Christ and therefore to the Resurrection, has often been designated to obscure corners and areas of the world and community, but the power of the Resurrection is always overshadowing and lifts this small Church to shine its Light, whether from Holy Etchmiadzin or the local parish. Pope Francis left this earth as the Pontiff of the Roman Catholic Church, and today, the Basilica of St. Mary Major turns into a Shrine of Light to those who cherished the Christ-like humility of this Servant of God.
May the seal of our Lord Jesus Christ be immovable from the tomb of your servant Francis, until the coming of Christ, who will come and once again renew in the glory of the Father and the Holy Spirit. May his memory be for us a renewal of our vows of kindness, understanding and humility. Amen.
Cover: Gregory Beylerian 2014
https://epostle.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Obscure-Light-693-e1745811511710.jpg8941125Vazken Movsesianhttps://epostle.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/final_logo_large_for_epostle_web-300x189.pngVazken Movsesian2025-04-28 00:01:512025-04-27 21:05:24Obscurity to Light: Pope Francis Burial
A big problem in the Church is reconciling the disparity between the lowly figure of the leader of our Faith, namely Jesus, and the large amount of wealth that can accumulate in the church coffers. I remember early in my ministry hearing about a protestant congregation in Walnut Creek that had a multi million dollar annual budget, yet they started each year and ended each year with only $2,000 in the bank. I remember thinking that that was truly a model of a Church, in other words, they spent what they took in, on ministry. Still, the idea of a dynamic ministry implies that it is changing and invites novel and innovative ideas to fulfill its mission. With the dreams, comes the need for funding. Hence, the plight of non-profits, whether church or secular organization, is defined by donations from people who believe in the cause.
The model of Church operations is conducive to the accumulation of finances, as donors and contributors set endowments and trusts to take care of the needs of the church for years (or centuries) to come. In the case of the Church, as the Body of Christ, the words of Jesus, not to worry about material wealth, that God takes care of the birds and flowers, and how much more he will take care of us, cannot go unnoticed. And so, a delicate balance must be met twixt what is necessary to function and spending what has been provided. And those in leadership positions within the Church struggle to find that balance and make sure they don’t fall.
And so, it was truly refreshing when Pope Francis, of Blessed Memory, became the head of a two-thousand year old Roman Catholic Church, opted to travel the path of humility and live a modest lifestyle as was his custom from his days as the Prelate of Argentina.
They say a picture is worth 1,000 words. One such picture was taken when Pope Francis washed the feet of prisoners on Holy Thursday, in strict observance of Jesus’ command to follow the Divine example from the night of the Last Supper (see John 13). But the picture captured something more, when the Pope bent over and kissed the feet of the convicts.
The Pope goes by titles such as Bishop of Rome, Vicar of Jesus Christ, Successor of the Prince of the Apostles, Supreme Pontiff of the Universal Church, Archbishop and Metropolitan of the Roman Province, Sovereign of the Vatican City State, Servant of the Servants of God, and His Holiness. That kiss spoke volumes about the person and his understanding of wealth and his responsibility as head of the Church.
His humility is, arguably, his greatest legacy.
Heavenly Father, we thank you for replenishing Your Holy Church with the servants who lead by example. Accept the offerings of all, and in the offering of humility by Pope Francis, may I find an example to live for others with my life. Amen.
On April 19, 2015 I conducted the last requiem service for the Martyrs of the Armenian Genocide. That year was the 100th anniversary of a program of systematic annihilation of the Armenian population in the Ottoman Empire. The Armenian Church announced that on April 24, 2015, it would canonize the martyrs of the Genocide as saints of the Church. The April 24 date has always been used as a marker for the Genocide remembrance for it was on that date in 1915 that the Armenian leadership was rounded up, killed or deported in Constantinople, what is referred to as Istanbul today.
Designating the martyrs as saints was long over due by the 100th anniversary. Martyrdom implied that their life was given for higher principles, in this case for Christ and nation. But even more, the shift to sainthood was a change in mind-set for the Armenian nation. As saints, the martyrs are classified as “victorious in Christ” and therefore, not victims.
“If anyone desires to come after Me,” says Jesus, “Let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.” (Matthew 16)
Requiems, a tradition misleadingly referred to as hokehankist in the Armenian Church, are not conducted for saints. They have been crowned by Christ!
On that Sunday, in 2015, I had the distinct honor of celebrating the Divine Liturgy at the St. Leon Armenian Cathedral of the Western Diocese. It was the western most Armenian Church and the delayed timing of the day, had me reciting the Martyrs of the Armenian Genocide in the requiem prayer for the very last time ever. Having grown up with Genocide survivors (my grandparents) this was a most sacred moment in history.
In the days that followed the conversation would shift in a manner that only Christ can change. Christ, the one who took the words of condemnation “Take and eat” in the Garden, and madse those same words “Take and eat” into words of salvation, was now leading the Armenian nation to victory. The mind-set had been altered.
Let us pray, Lord, our God, You are with us in every transition and change. Open our hearts to the great change from victim to victor, which You demonstrated with Your glorious Resurrection. Help me to accept the change and welcome the newness of that victory. Amen.
Cover Photo: Luna & Gregory Beylerian
https://epostle.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Candles-e1745471730923.jpg8871125Vazken Movsesianhttps://epostle.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/final_logo_large_for_epostle_web-300x189.pngVazken Movsesian2025-04-24 00:01:072025-04-23 22:17:53The Last Requiem
“Hope” is the name of Pope Francis’ autobiography. This past Lent I decided to read the book as part of my Easter time ritual of accenting spirituality in my life. It took me a while to get through the book, not because it was long or because it was boring. Actually, it was just the opposite. I found the book to be anything but boring and as I read through the 300 pages, I would not have minded if it went longer. The book was meaty. You know what meaty is, right? The fat has been trimmed off and every bite is nutritious. You want to savor the flavor, so you take your time getting through it.
Pope Francis life was meaty. He was a simple man, but the fat had been trimmed off to the point that each bite was nutritious. You were in no rush to end the meal.
Four days before he was elected Pope, Archbishop Bergoglio wrote, Thinking about the next pope: a man who from the contemplation and adoration of Jesus Christ, helps the Church to go out from herself to the existential peripheries, that helps her to be the fruitful mother who gains life from “the sweet and comforting joy of evangelizing.” (p.187, Rome March 9, 2013)
When you read something as meat as this, you can’t just swallow it. You have to chew it, figure out the different tastes, contemplate and apply to your own circumstances. Meaty is a good thing. Pope Francis gave us much to think about through his humble life which he lived modestly. He was grounded and centered in the Gospel. It was what he believed, the way he lived and died. He gave us all much to ponder and much to absorb. We were nurtured by his words and actions.
Let us pray. Heavenly Father, we thank you for the life of your servant His Holiness Pope Francis. May we keep his memory alive in our hearts by allowing his example to nurture our spirits in your Love. In all things we glorify You along with the Son and Holy Spirit, now and always. Amen.
https://epostle.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Meaty.jpg11251125Vazken Movsesianhttps://epostle.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/final_logo_large_for_epostle_web-300x189.pngVazken Movsesian2025-04-23 00:01:412025-04-22 22:06:43Meaty is Okay: HH Pope Francis
