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”

Forgotten: The Silence of Friends

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Armodoxy for Today: The Forgotten, Part 2 – Silence of the Friends

The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., made this observation during his struggle for Civil Rights: “In the end, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends.” As a minister of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, he did not understand how a Christian, follower of Jesus Christ, could stay silent and be apathetic in the face of injustice and violence against others. In April of 1963, while arrested for civil disobedience, he penned the remarkable “Letter from Birmingham Jail” in which he echoed the Call of Christ, 2,000 years after Jesus walked the Earth, to care for your fellow human being. (https://letterfromjail.com) “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere,” he said.

The “anywhere” in his case was the United States, particularly in the South. He lived through the injustice of bigotry and discrimination, manifesting itself in violence, hatred and apathy in the face of that injustice.

The “anywhere” at the turn of the 19th century was the Ottoman Empire where the Armenian population would come to be known as the first victims of Genocide in the 20th Century. One-and-a-half-million Armenians were slaughtered and killed in a mass program of systematic annihilation and ethnic cleansing. The headlines on the world’s largest and most widely circulated newspaper screamed the news of massacres, rape and murder – hangings, beheadings, death marches photographed. The Ambassador of the United States to the Ottoman Empire, Henry Morgenthau Sr. painstakingly detailed the atrocities committed against the Armenian and Greek populations. Despite the horrendous details of barbaric acts, the world stayed silent.

The Armenians were overlooked by the world. They were the forgotten. Seemingly good Christian people, who attended church regularly, and listened to the stories of Jesus, probably shook their heads in disgust of the atrocities, but were quiet about these things. So much so, that the silence was deafening.

“Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.” The “everywhere” was not too far away. In 1939, Adolf Hitler on announcing his plans to invade Poland, was questioned by his military personnel about the feasibility of such an invasion. What would the world think? What would the world say? What would the world do? Hitler infamously responded, “Who, after all, speaks today of the annihilation of the Armenians?”

Forgotten. Yes. It didn’t take long. Only fifteen years after the end of the Armenian Genocide, it was forgotten, because it never entered the consciousness of the people.  It makes us think about our reaction to violence, war and even genocide today, in Gaza, Sudan, Congo, Ukraine today. We’ll get there, tomorrow.

For today, I’d like to share with you a prayer which is my answer to Shnorhali’s nineth hour of prayer, Lord Jesus Christ, you who opened the eyes of the blind man, open our eyes which are blinded by hatred. You who gave hearing to the deaf man, open our ears which can no longer hear the cry of babies. You who loosened the tongue of the mute, open our mouths so we may share our voice for justice. You who restored strength in the legs of the paralyzed man, give us the stamina to walk to bring aid. You who opened the hearts of those who hate, open our hearts to give to those in need. Amen.

The Forgotten, part 1: Why?

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Armodoxy for Today: Part 1 – The Forgotten, Why?

In the Gospel of Luke, chapter 7, we read that as Jesus was passing by the gate of the city of Nain, a funeral procession was taking place. The Gospel narrative gives us these details, the dead man was “the only son of his mother; and she was a widow. And a large crowd from the city was with her.  When the Lord saw her, He had compassion on her and said to her, “Do not weep.” Then He came and touched the open coffin, and those who carried him stood still. And He said, “Young man, I say to you, arise.” So he who was dead sat up and began to speak. And He presented him to his mother.” (12-15)

The details in this story are not randomly placed here. When reading the Gospels in general, you’ll find that Jesus has a special concern and care for widows. In this story, these details – that the dead man was the only son of a widow – are essential to understanding Jesus’ compassion and why Jesus reacted the way he did. In the society of that day and age, women were identified by their fathers, their husbands, and in the event that they were widowed, by their male sons. In this story, we find the widow has lost her only son, and therefore, she will be an outcast, betrayed to a life of indigence.

Jesus paid attention to the forgotten, to those who slip through the cracks become shadows.

In my personal library I have a large selection of books related to genocide, more specifically, about the Armenian Genocide. One book stands out. Its name in large block letters on the binding call out “The FORGOTTEN GENOCIDE.” As the grandson of Armenian Genocide (1915-23) survivors, I am very sensitive to the plight of the forgotten. As a priest, committed to the Gospel of Jesus Christ, the forgotten are part of my mission.

In this miniseries of daily messages, I’ll be sharing with you a few stories of forgotten people, from Sudan to a prison which has housed a victim of domestic violence for 18 years. Yes, you heard right a victim, a survivor, of domestic violence, who is forgotten in a prison cell. These stories, I will present over the next days, as today’s widows, today’s only son’s mothers, who have God’s attention and deserve ours.

Lord Jesus Christ. You did not turn away from the forgotten children of the world. With your actions, you taught us to extend ourselves to hurting, to the forgotten, as a reminder that before God, there is no one who is forgotten. We are all His children. Fill my heart with compassion to extend myself beyond my reach. Amen.

Family Affair

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Armodoxy for Today: Family Ties

The reading for this Sunday came from the eight chapter of the Gospel of Luke. While Jesus is actively engaged in His ministry, by teaching and sharing profound parables, his mother and brothers come to him, but, Scripture records that they “could not approach Him because of the crowd.” (19) He’s told that his mother and brothers are standing outside and want to see him.

Jesus, changes the conversation, taking the emphasis off of the actual characters of his family, including the Blessed Mother by saying, “My mother and my brothers are these who hear the word of God and do it.” (21)

With this statement Jesus has opened the doors to God, the Kingdom and to all of Eternity to everyone. Hearing the word of God and doing it, is a formula that is simple and doable. It implies that the word of God is action. It has to be done. “A new commandment I give to you,” says Jesus, “that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.” (John 13:34-35)

Being a member of Jesus’ family, that is, being a Christian, comes down to doing, loving, sharing, caring, reaching, hugging, consoling, praying, comforting, listening, sacrificing, extending yourself to others.

Accordingly, todays  prayer asks for the essentials to be a member of Christ’s family. Lord, open my soul to the courage and strength to be a member of your family. Amen.