Advent Prep Time

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Armodoxy for Today: Advent Preparation

Preparation is important to the success of any life event. From something as common as your next meal, to milestones such as graduating school, preparation is fundamental to the success and enjoyment of that event. Likewise for events we commemorate in the life of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Church offers us times for preparation so that we can come to better appreciate, and thereby enjoy, the message of the Gospel in our lives.

Christmas comes and goes as an event of the Winter. Noting the commercialization or the secularization of the Christmas holiday is only tied to our lack of being prepared for the Mystery we proclaim on Christmas: Christ is born and revealed.

The Church has given a period of times, called “Advent” which means “Coming.” In the Armenian Church this period is called hisnag designating a 50-day period before Christmas. Prior to Easter we count off 50 days as well (he 40 days of Lent along with the Day of Good Living and Holy Week, add up to 50 days). And that period, commonly referred to as Lent, has a certain notoriety which is missing from the pre-Christmas season. The Advent season is equally important in preparing ourselves to fully participate in the Christmas joy.

The Advent preparation is one of tuning the body, soul and mind to wonders that await us in the manger, under the tree and at our church service.

Advent is a journey and we are journeying together toward the day we greet one another with the merriest of Christmas messages, “Christ is born and revealed.” On this road, we will be preparing to meet Jesus at his nativity. You’ll come to find how God of the universe interacted with our world in a humble manger and find a connection to how He interacts at the places of our lives today, wherever they may be. This journey is for the next 50 days along with the special “12 days of Christmas” at the end.

I look forward to taking this journey with you here at Epostle.net.

We pray, Heavenly Father, as we begin this season of Advent, open our hearts and our souls to the wonders you have shared with us. As we prepare for the blessed Birth and Revelation of your Son and our Savior, Jesus Christ, we ask that you keep us focused on the opportunity to prepare, so that we can fully participate and enjoy the celebration of Christmas. May we be led by the Holy Spirit as we begin this journey in faith. Amen.

Forgotten No More

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Armodoxy for Today: Forgotten no more

For the last couple of weeks I’ve been sharing with you different forgotten people, groups of people and things. Of course, the examples I presented only scratch the surface ofthe neglected and forsaken elements of our life and society. I am sure that as you encountered these stories with me, you had a chance to reflect on the neglected and unremembered that are all around us.

No one was forgotten for Jesus. He approached everyone with the kindness and love that we refer to as unconditional.

I used the theme of the forgotten to prep us for a very special period in the life of the Church known as “Advent.” In Armenian, the period of Advent is referred to as hisnak, from the word for fifty. Advent is a period of 50 days that proceeds the Nativity of Christ, or what is popularly referred to as Christmas. So great is this event that the Birth of Jesus Christ separates time into B.C and A.D.  (Before Christ and Anno Domini = In the year of the Lord) or what has been adopted as of late as C.E. (Common Era) and B.C.E. (Before Common Era). No matter how you say it, in our world, time is marked before and after the Birth of Christ.

Ironically, we live in a world where the word Christmas has desensitized us to the gift which we receive through Jesus Christ. We are so consumed with lists, decorations, parties and gift giving, that we forget the Gift that God has given us, the reason of the season: Jesus.

The next lessons in Armodoxy are about taking that center point in time seriously, by coming to terms with the Person who is at the center of Eternity. As we go through the Advent Season, it is most important to remember the lessons of the Forgotten, so that when we arrive at Christmas the marvelous message of Peace on Earth and Goodwill toward one another will resonate in our soul not as some unattainable ideal, but an accessible way of life.

We will forget no more. Welcome to the Advent Season.

Heavenly Father, open my heart and my soul to the joy of this Advent season. Keep the meek, and the lowly ever before me so that I may never forget that I too am forgotten, save for the fact that I am a child endowed with the ability to love, feel and exercise compassion in all that I do, thanks to Your gentle kindness. Amen.

Forgotten Self Image

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Armodoxy for Today: Forgotten, part 10 – Self Image

Over the last ten days I’ve shared with you thoughts on the forgotten: both individuals and groups of people, who are on the margins or invisible to us. Jesus extended himself to these people, setting an example for all of us to do the same. He makes a point of saying that his actions are to be copied, as a requirement for discipleship.

At the Last Supper, he washed the feet of the Disciples and afterwards told them, “Do you know what I have done to you?  You call Me Teacher and Lord… If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have given you an example, that you should do as I have done to you.

Through the years, working with Armenian parishioners, especially young people, I have been concerned about cultivating a positive self-image as Armenians, in the great “melting pot” of the United States. Most all Armenians that I’ve worked with are descendants of the Armenian Genocide (1915-1923). It is difficult to develop, cultivate and maintain a positive self-image when you have grown up with stories of loss and death. One and a half million Armenians were murdered, and the forced exile from their historic homeland created the large Armenian diaspora. The post-Genocide narrative has been one of self-pity and large-scale demonstrations of anger, against a tide that drowns out the voices.

Several years ago, I brought together a group of teenagers of Armenian ancestry to discuss their ethnic identity in a positive manner. Over a two days of candid discussion, they came up with a formula called, “In His Shoes.” Basically, as Armenian Christians, we are called to help others through compassion and love. But even more, since there was a time that collectively Armenians were homeless, hungry and oppressed, Armenians have the unique perspective of knowing the pain and suffering of the homeless, the hungry and the oppressed today. “We have walked in their shoes,” the young people pronounced, “therefore, we know and are empathetic toward the struggle of others.

Once a month, the In His Shoes mission gathers and feeds the homeless, with the only explanation for their actions being that they feel the pain of the homeless. Reaching out to victims of natural disasters, the sick and suffering, and especially other victims of genocide, are only a partial list of the philanthropic grass-roots work done by the In His Shoes ministry. No longer are they victims, but are they are victorious, so much so that their cup overflows with goodness. Walking in the shoes of others is the forgotten motive and response to the forgotten.

We pray today, Lord, you descended from Heaven to walk in our shoes, to feel the pain and suffering of humanity. May I be inspired to do the same, to walk in the shoes of the hurting and oppressed. Grant me the strength and courage to follow your example. Amen.

The Forgotten Face of Christ

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Armodoxy for Today: The Forgotten, part 9 – The Face of Christ

Most people are able to conjure up an image of Jesus in their mind based on popular representations of him in artform – whether paintings, drawings or from movies. The longhair, parted in the middle, bearded man, usually comes along with a first-century outfit of a white robe and sandals.

Religious relics have contributed to this image. Most famously is the Shroud of Turin, the burial wrap of Jesus, which projects an image of him. Veronica’s Veil is another source for the image. During the road to Cross, a devout follower of Jesus named Veronica, offers the beaten and worn Jesus a veil to soak the blood and sweat off of his holy and abused face.   There, the image of his face is memorialized on that cloth.

Today, on the simple instruction of “Generate a picture of Jesus” to an AI chatbot, we receive a preliminary respond of, “bringing a sacred vision to life,” followed by a picture that more or less resembles what most Hollywood producers have asked us to consider to be the image of the Son of God, long hair parted in the middle, beard and all.

The Face of Jesus has been forgotten. I’m talking about the real face of Jesus which Armodoxy has presented throughout the centuries. It is the face that you see on Armenian Church altars, artwork and miniatures.

Jesus asks us to see him in the “least of his brothers and sisters.” His call is found in Matthew chapter 25. It is the face of the hungry, the thirsty, the abandoned, the lonely and abused, the homeless, the sick and the grieving.

Like those he refers to in this passage (verses 31-46) – those who did not forget his face – we may ask, “When did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink?  When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothed you?  When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?” to which Jesus answers, “…Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.”

It is not a comfortable portrayal nor a pleasant image of our Lord, but it is the snapshot he leaves us with: the parentless child screaming on the sidelines of war, the hungry family suffering a depressed economy, the migrant escaping persecution, the lone man with lost hope as he mourns the passing of his last companion. These are some of the forgotten faces of Christ.

We pray, Lord, open my eyes to see the world as a place and opportunity to share your love with others. Amen.

Forgotten: The Message

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Armodoxy for Today: The Forgotten, part 8 – the Message

The document that professes the faith of the Christian Church, and Christian world is known as the Nicene Creed. It is a set of definitions that establish who is a Christian. It was formulated 1700 years ago, in 325, by representatives from different countries, gathering for the first time since Pentecost as the Universal Christian Church in Nicaea.

The four parts of the Creed explain God, as Father, Son and Holy Spirit, and the function of the Holy Church.

The longest portion in the Creed is the one about Jesus Christ – Begotten, not made, of the same substance as the Father, true God of true God…  Actually, the council was called together by the Emperor Constantine to “sort out” the many misconceptions and heresies regarding the person of Jesus.

With all the details about Jesus Christ articulated, there is one crucial point that is forgotten, it is his message! The message of Jesus, as the fulfilment of the law and the prophets, as this revolutionary understanding that we are all children of God, that our only hope in this world is to extend ourselves to one another, that love is the most powerful weapon against hatred and evil. As mentioned, the purpose of the meeting was about the person of Jesus, which the Creed articulates. So, it is not that it was intentionally left out, but today, even a simple, “We believe in the message of faith, hope and love as expressed by Jesus Christ” would have been welcomed by this 21st century observer.

For us today, the understanding of Christ’s message is essential in defining a Christian. What good is it to proclaim Christianity without living the life prescribed by Christ? For this reason his teaching in the Sermon on the Mount is so over-the-top important -that if going to the altar of God, you remember you have a grievance with someone, leave your gift at the altar, go first and make up and then come to the altar. (Matthew 5:24) In very simple terms, more important than God (leaving your gifts) is our relationship with one another.

We pray, Lord Jesus Christ, the way, the truth and the life, you have given us a message of unconditional and uncompromising love. Open my heart so that I understand that that love is the only way, truth and life. Amen.

The Forgotten: Veterans

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Armodoxy for Today: The Forgotten, Day 7 – Veterans

Familiarity breeds contempt, they say. That is, the more you are familiar with someone or something the less likely you are to respect it. Tragically, that contempt can also lead to disconnection. Another “forgotten.”

Today is Veteran’s Day in the United States. Formerly it was called Armistice Day, recognizing the end of World War I on November 11, 1918.

We refer to military personnel, especially those who actively served in the military as veterans. The word itself, veteran, is a person who has had long experience in a particular field. For example, “He’s a veteran newscaster.” “She’s a veteran activist.” It’s in this long-standing relationship that contempt – forgetting the importance of their work – that people are forgotten.

Military veterans can’t be clumped together as a group. They are people who have taken a vow to something higher than themselves. The veteran is someone who loves country much more than his or her life. That is, the veteran is willing to lay down his or her life for the country, for something that is greater than the self. In the Gospel of John (15), Jesus says, “Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” Jesus is referring to his own sacrifice, and his words define true love as a function of selflessness. He places value on friendship (harmonious living with one another). That value is measured by life itself – a willingness to sacrifice life for the benefit of the greater good. The sacrifice made by veterans has the greatest value of anything or any action, because the measuring “currency” is more precious than silver, gold and even platinum. That’s why we refer to it as paying the ultimate price: life itself. And that is why, they cannot be forgotten.

On this celebration of Veteran’s Day, there is a simple test for each of us to take. Ask yourself, what are the things that are most important to me? What are the things for which I would be willing to give up my life.

Now ask yourself, if I’m willing to die for it, am I willing to live for it?

If we are willing to die for Christ, our country, our family, or our friends, then the more important question we must ask ourselves is, am I willing to live for Christ, live the virtues of my Faith? The ideals of my country? With love for my family? Armodoxy is the proof that living out Christian principles is much harder than dying for them.

We pray Psalm 27, “The Lord is my light and my salvation, whom shalI I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? One thing have I asked of the Lord, that will I seek after, “That I may dwell in the house of the Lord, all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to inquire in His temple.” Amen.

Forgotten: Prayer from Prison

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Armodoxy for Today: The Forgotten, part 6 – Prayer from Prison

Jesus reached out to the forgotten. I’ve shared with you some stories over the past several days of people and groups of people who are forgotten. I’ve looked in. Today, I wish to look out from their world.
I shared with you only briefly the plight of Silva, a woman who was abused, mentally, emotionally and physically for 25 years, and now sitting in prison, where she has been for 18 years.
Today’s message comes to us by way of a prayer, a prayer which she has offered up to God, and shares with us.

She calls it, Tormenting Times.

Lord give me patience to
Process my unfortunate circumstances
Help me heal from all the hurt and betrayal
My faith in You has always been strong
Give me the courage to go on
I shall take your commandments seriously
My beliefs are being tested
I can’t stop my tears from flowing
Embattled with sleeplessness
Thankful for the numerous embraces
I am now known as the desolate one
Tormented with sadness
Let my disrupted emotions subside
Allow my enclave to become my sanctuary
My despair has made me hopeless
Lift me up with inspiration
Relieve my sanity
Help me be at peace again.

Amen.

Forgotten – part 5, The Prisons

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Armodoxy for Today: The Forgotten, Part 5 – The Prisons

Silva sits in a prison cell watching life go by. Since her incarceration, her children have grown up, entered into their professions and created their own lives. She hasn’t met or seen her grandchildren, but she has seen a wide variety of people coming into prison, and out of prison. Murderers have been sentenced, served their time and let out, while Silva has watched and hoped that her day will come soon.

Just to remind you, her crime was that she was abused for 25 years by her husband. After trying to resolve the situation by going to family, friends and even the police, and not finding resolutions, she thinks her only way out of the violence is through violence and puts her mind to be rid of him for good. Attempting murder is as far as she got. Her attempt was foiled. According to the law, trying to kill someone is enough to land you in prison and that it did. Abused for 25 years, and now twenty years in jail.

Silva’s situation was nothing new to me. Domestic violence has been on my radar since I began my ministry. I was alerted to the sensitivity of the subject when at one point five different women approached me, their parish priest, in the course of a couple of months, complaining about domestic abuse.

What an opportunity, I thought, to bring these women together. Let them talk to one another, let them share their stories with each other. Exchange notes. Discuss responsibility, etc. It could only be therapeutic for them.

I approached each one separately. Spoke with them and explained the gravity of the situation. Even more, I explained, there are others who are going through the same difficulties you are experiencing. I did not even get one person who would be willing to discuss their situation with another. Why? What would the neighbors think? The shame factor was well at work. It was outside of their comfort zone. I was too young and too inexperienced to push the necessity of such dialogues – ones with people who could relate to you because of their similar experiences.

Here we are several decades later, and still domestic violence is in the shadows. There is a stigma attached to being a victim of a partner’s dominance. You don’t ask for it, but you’re confined to a lifetime of it.

But from all this evil – and seemingly “winning” evil – something good took flight. It was called Datev Outreach, addressing the issues faced by the victims of domestic violence. More on that, next time.

For today we pray, “Lord our God, remember those who struggle against hatred and prejudice. By the power of your Holy Cross, which you did not reject, but accepted and climbed for all humankind, melt our heart of stone so that we may be loving and caring towards all. Amen.”

Forgotten – Victim and Prisoners

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Armodoxy for Today: The Forgotten, part 4 – Victim and Prisoner

In Jesus’ parable of the Prodigal Son (Luke 15:11f), there is point of awakening, which leads to his repentance and return home. When he had money and means, he was surrounded by friends, but once the money ran out, so did his friends. He found himself alone, searching for the bygone days. Fortunately, there was a loving father who welcomed his son’s return and celebrated. But what if he came to that point of repentance, that moment awakening, and there was no who wanted his back? What if they designated him as “forgotten” and no doors were open for him to return to life?

Meet Silva. She’s a forgotten inmate at the California Institution for Women. She has been confined behind prison bars since 2007. Like the Prodigal Son, she was on top of the world financially. She had friends and she was well respected in the Armenian community in Southern California, until she was incarcerated. Slowly, she found herself alone, and isolated. Unlike the Prodigal, there have been no open doors for her to return.

Her story is all too common, and especially in immigrant communities such as the Armenian one. She was a victim of domestic violence. And, she still is.

Quick, what’s wrong with this picture? She’s a victim, so why is she in prison? And if she’s in prison, how can she still be a victim of domestic violence?

While everything seemed fine on the outside, Silva was being abused emotionally, psychologically and physically by her husband. They were married for over 25 years and the level of abuse became intolerable for Silva, to the point that she wanted out in the worst way possible. And so, she did the worst thing possible by deciding to kill her husband as a solution, to end the violence. She hired a person to kill him. The murder was botched. Silva was tried and convicted of attempted murder.

In the nearly two decades that she has been in prison, she has been a model prisoner. She has educated herself and holds several degrees. She’s been up for parole a couple of times only to be passed by. Ironically, if she had killed her husband, she probably would have been out by now, perhaps on a self-defense plea. Instead, she was abused for 25 years in her marriage and now she’s being abused in prison and by a system that is broken.

This story is a personal one for me. Jesus sought out and ministered to the forgotten, giving us an example to do the same. I have met with Silva and chronicled her struggle through the system. The story itself is filled with intrigue, betrayal, hatred, and much loneliness and despair. It would make for a very interesting novel or film. My intention is not share those details, but to place this in the context of the Church – Christ’s Holy Body – in response to evil. I’m determined to get this story out and hope that somewhere someone will pick up and join the cause of righteousness.

We will continue tomorrow. We pray today, Lord, have mercy. Amen.

Forgotten: Point of View

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Armodoxy for Today: The Forgotten part 3, Point of View

Not everything that is “forgotten” is due to our failure to see or to remember. Don’t discount the role of the editor, the broadcaster or the storyteller in what is remembered and what is not.

I often think about how news reaches us. I’ve had occasion to watch the news outside the United States. What strikes me is the way the news is presented. It was like watching a sitcom without a laugh-track, that is, there were no cues to when to laugh and when to cry, and the news was weighty, meaty and of substance.

Here in America, news is presented with a peppering of humor and entertainment, as a sidenote to the tragedies that take place. As bad as things may be – a natural disaster such as an earthquake or a hurricane which claimed thousands of lives – it is never so great that they can’t give you the latest football or basketball scores. Wars can escalate to genocide and scenes of cities destroyed by bombs can fill up our visuals, but fear not, the next news item is about a rapper or singer who has won a Grammy award, or better yet, will be entertaining at the Superbowl halftime event!

The consumer of that news eventually loses perspective about the weight and gravity of the different news items. Two hundred people killed in a hurricane is a tragedy with grave consequences. The love life of a celebrity may be of interest to a very large audience, but is it as weighty as the other story? Yet, the juxtaposing of these two stories back-to-back dilutes the magnitude of the consequential story. Think of your social media feed. The story about the escalation of nuclear weapons by countries is on the same feed as the picture of your neighbor sharing a funny experience with their dog. The two stories do not have the same weight or impact on life, but their positioning together desensitizes us to truly large events and stories that carry impact.

News editors are charged with arranging items such that they will be alluring and attractive to the viewer. It is the news editor and the production staff that decides which stories are worthy of broadcast and which are forgotten. Hence, the decision is made to prioritize news items for us, the consumers. Language, the perspective and the way a story is revealed, is adjusted to accommodate their goals.

Think of how we have been desensitized to the atrocities that took place in Gaza. In October 2023, Hamas-led militants killed about 1,200 people and took 251 others hostage in Isreal. Israel retaliated by proclaiming war on the Palestinians and at the end of two years close to 70,000 Palestinians were killed. During the war Gaza was obliterated. We kept hearing the numbers. It is easy, and in fact it is natural, to compare the numbers and the scale of the war on both sides. That’s where they want you to look, instead of looking at the human side of this tragedy. Which child – the Israeli or the Gazan – is not mourned by their family? Which person – the Israeli or the Gazan – did not bleed when struck down?

We have forgotten humanity.

In Gospel of Matthew, chapter 9, a paralyzed man is brought to Jesus. Jesus turns to him and says, “Your sins are forgiven.” He did not see the physical trappings of this man. Jesus did what he knew was necessary, to heal the man of his spiritual baggage. The people were incensed at Jesus. Who can forgive sin but God? they asked. Jesus answered, “…which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven you,’  or to say, ‘Arise and walk’? But that you may know that the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins”—then He said to the paralytic, “Arise, take up your bed, and go to your house.” And he arose and departed to his house.

The people who brought this man to Jesus had forgotten that he had a soul, he had a spirit. But he was not forgotten by Jesus. The man was not to be identified only by the confines of his physical body. There was another way of understanding the picture. It was by God’s rules and not by any other. We will continue tomorrow.

For today, we pray, “Lord, have mercy. Amen”