Tag Archive for: Christ

Greater than God

Armodoxy for Today: Advent Series – Greater than God

During this period of Advent, we are encountering the Essential Teachings of Jesus as he expressed them in the Sermon on the Mount. Today we continue to look at the harsh contrast between the Old and New Testaments, especially as it is presented in this passage about murder. Jesus equates murder with anger. “You have heard that it was said to those of old,” Jesus says, “‘You shall not murder, and whoever murders will be in danger of the judgment.’ But I say to you that whoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment.” For Jesus, sincerity of heart is of primary importance. But the contrast twixt Old and New is perhaps nowhere so pronounces as when Jesus offers the solution to our anger.

He continues, “Therefore, if you bring your gift to the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar, and go your way. First be reconciled to your brother and then come and offer your gift.”

Truly this prescription is in stark contrast to the Old Covenant. In the Ten Commandments, the code of the Old Testament God is not to be overshadowed by anyone or anything. The first two commandments, articulated by God are as follows:

“You shall have no other gods before Me. “You shall not make for yourself a carved image—any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; you shall not bow down to them nor serve them. For I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God….” (Exodus 20:3-6)

For Jesus, our reconciliation with one another is more important than God! “… leave your gift there before the altar,” he instructs, “and go your way. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift.”

Lip service did not interest Jesus. Actions were necessary to back up the words of our mouth. The love we have with one another is our expression of the love we have for God. This was so central to Jesus’ teaching that it was codified, in a sense, in the writing of St. John the Evangelist.

Today, we leave with a mediation from the Letter of St. John, chapter 4:

Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. He who does not love does not know God, for God is love. In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him. … Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.

No one has seen God at any time. If we love one another, God abides in us, and His love has been perfected in us. … If someone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen? And this commandment we have from Him: that he who loves God must love his brother also. (4:7-20)

Cover: Luna & Gregory Beylerian, 2023

 

Etchmiadzin for All

Armodoxy for Today: Etchmiadin for All

In a world that is plagued with war, disease, poverty, intolerance and indifference, the feast of Holy Etchmiadzin may seem obsolete and/or archaic. What is all this talk about Holy Etchmiadzin when the news is shouting out horror and evil?

The Church steers us to the answer in the epistle reading of the day, from Hebrews chapter 9. Here we read about structures, about altars and tabernacles. In the Armenian Church we read this in the context of the new covenant and therefore state the invitation in the hymn of Holy Etchmiadzin: “Come, let us build the altar of light!”

The altar, which pointed to rules and regulations is now standing as a beacon of light, and therefore, as a lifesaver offering and giving hope! The Divine Liturgy of the Armenian Church attests to this subtle change of focus when the celebrant prays, “God of truth and Father of mercy, we thank you, for you have exalted our nature, above that of the blessed patriarchs; for you were called God to them, whereas in compassion you have been pleased to be named Father to us.”

As children of our Heavenly Father, we are called to the highest calling: to share the Light with others, especially those living in darkness. “You are the light of the world,” says Jesus (Matthew 5).  “A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead, they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house.  In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.

Come let us build the altar of light, says the hymn, so that evil is exposed. Etchmiadzin is the altar of light that must be raised in a world of darkness.

“This is the verdict,” Jesus says, (John 3) “Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that their deeds will be exposed. But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what they have done has been done in the sight of God.”

We pray, from St. Nersess Shnorhali’s prayer, O Christ, the true Light make my soul worthy to encounter with joy the light of your divine glory, on the day I will be called by you; and to rest in good hope, in the mansions of the righteous, until the great day of your coming. Have mercy upon your creatures, and on me, a sinner. Amen.

 

Cover: Altar of Descent, Holy Etchmiadzin, Fr. Vazken 2014

Etchmiadzin is Mission

Armodoxy for Today: Etchmiadzin as Mission

Today’s message comes from His Holiness, Karekin I, of blessed memory, who was the Catholicos of All Armenians from 1995 until his passing in 1999. When he assumed the throne of Chief Shepherd of the Apostolic See, he coined a phrase, “Etchmiadzin is Mission.” From his sermon which he delivered on the Feast of Holy Etchmiadzin 1995, I share with you these excerpts:

“Come, let us make an altar of light, for thereby did the light shine in the land of Armenia.” (From the hymn of Holy Etchmiadzin)

The altar of light is light itself – light created by God. “I am the light of the world,” proclaimed our Lord, hence the architect of this altar at Etchmiadzin, is God Himself also, acting through His Only Begotten Son. As humans, we are called to make this altar, but I would say that actually we are to allow it to make and fashion us and our lives.

One thinks of artists, sculptors, poets and composers: they create, and their soul radiates through matter – marble, sound, words, etc. – and expresses itself. We can therefore only make an alter for God inasmuch as we become participants in God’s own creativity and the task of spiritual edification.

… What people conceive of when they speak of “Holy Etchmiadzin” is something spiritual, which radiated through the physical Etchmiadzin; for a stone on its own is nothing but a stone – dead matter!

… Etchmiadzin is first and foremost a mission; it is not an institution like other institutions. … It is not an ode to the past, a glorification of previous achievements or pride in former accomplishments. Etchmiadzin is a mission; it is the transcription of God into Armenian, the preaching of Christ’s Gospel and the teaching of the faith of our Holy Fathers.

… Human response to the divine calling is what is needed now; we have to experience a total and complete change of heart so as to be able to deserve serving at Etchamiadzin…

…I quote from the Book of Hours [of the Armenian Church]

Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ who, through the prayers and intercessions of the father in faith and Your long-suffering servant, St. Gregory the Illuminator… You expressed your Love and mercy in a special way by descending in this place; You struck with your golden hammer the depths of hell and dispersed its inhabitants; You wondrously created this Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin and turned it into an ever abundant source of Your grace, into a [nurturing] mother and teacher… keep this See spotless and crystal clear and bright, for the sake of the glory of all our churches until the end of the World… Amen.

Let us become as the plain of Ararat, ready to receive the divine message and may Etchmiadzin become integrated into our spiritual world and our lives. So that we may glorify the Almighty Father and Son and Holy Spirit. Amen.

Overheard Last Week

Armodoxy for Today: Overheard last week

Mark 16:

And Jesus cried out with a loud voice and breathed His last.

Then the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. So when the centurion, who stood opposite Him, saw that He cried out like this and breathed His last, he said, “Truly this Man was the Son of God!”

This centurion, who was a commander in the Roman army, makes a proclamation about Jesus based on the sensational events surrounding the last minutes in our Lord’s life on earth.

At some point in your life, you arrive at a conclusion about Jesus. This day after Easter, after you have heard so much about Jesus and the Resurrection, is a day of contemplation and reflection, to arrive at your own proclamation about Jesus.

Rhythms

Armodoxy for Today: Rhythms

This week of Advent begins with a scriptural reading from Hebrews chapter 1. It reads like an essay, explaining that God speaks to us through His Son, Jesus Christ.  The scripture reads, “Long ago God spoke to our ancestors in many and various ways by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by a Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, through whom he also created the worlds. He is the reflection of God’s glory and the exact imprint of God’s very being, and he sustains all things by his powerful word. When he had made purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, having become as much superior to angels as the name he has inherited is more excellent than theirs.”

This introduction to the book we have landed on today, namely Hebrews, has a cosmic flavor to it. Interestingly enough we read it in the Church during the week of the Winter Solstice.

The author of Hebrews continues his writing setting apart the Son of God from the angels, “For to which of the angels did God ever say, ‘You are my Son; today I have begotten you’? Or again, ‘I will be his Father, and he will be my Son’? And again, when he brings the firstborn into the world, he says, ‘Let all God’s angels worship him.’” For the author of this scriptural treasure, it is important to set Jesus apart from all of creation. As we recite in the Nicene Creed, “We believe in one Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, begotten of God the Father, only-begotten, that is of the substance of the Father. God from God, light from light, true God from true God, begotten and not made; of the same nature of the Father, by whom all things came into being in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible; Who for us men and for our salvation came down from heaven, took body, became man, was born perfectly of the holy virgin Mary by the Holy Spirit. By whom he took body, soul and mind and everything that is in man, truly and not in semblance.”

When we talk about the Apostolic Church, we are speaking of the Church at the time of the Apostles. There was no Bible at the time. There was only the community of believers that assembled together to be filled with the Holy Spirit and to be encouraged by one another. The Apostolic Church, and later the early Church, understood the Church and the Christian expression as part of a rhythm of the universe that began at Creation and then experienced the Fall because of our actions against the rhythm and harmony of the universe.

Christ is set apart. Christ comes to put us back into harmony and in rhythm with the universe, that is all of creation.

We are traveling through the period of Advent in preparation of welcoming the Nativity and Revelation of God in our lives. Today, we stop and hear the message of harmony and rhythm. We are a day off of the Winter Solstice. We look within at our lives and we look without at the patterns of nature. Christmas is near.

Let us pray a prayer that comes to us from Holy Scripture for the Book of Sirac, (43)  The beauty of the celestial height and the pure firmament, heaven itself manifests its glory. The sun at its rising shines at its fullest, a wonderful instrument, the work of the Most High! Let us praise Him the more, since we cannot fathom him, for greater is He than all his works; Awesome indeed is the LORD, and wonderful His power. Lift up your voices to glorify the LORD as much as you can, for there is still more. For who has seen him and can describe him? Who can praise him as he is? Beyond these, many things lie hidden; only a few of his works have I seen. It is the LORD who has made all things; to those who fear him he gives wisdom.

Coinciding Scriptures

Next Step #750: When scripture coincides with life events of a priest, a signal is sent to focus on the mission of Christ, the Church and the minister of the Gospel. A look at Luke 4:16-22: The mystery of importance and centrality for life. What about the “brokenhearted,” why are they overlooked, or just a clerical error? Favorite vs. Importance.
Daily Messages on Epostle.net
On the “Closed Curtain” – Bp. Daniel Findikian
Occam’s Razor
Richard Hagopian
Best of Armenian Folk Music
Produced by Suzie Shatarevyan for Epostle.net
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Bishop Daniel Interview

Next Step #749: “We are sitting on a treasure” says Bishop Daniel Findikyan, and admits that the value of that treasure is “inconceivable.” Listen in on this interview that goes beyond administrative issues and talks about Faith, Christ, God, and our spiritual life. Discuss: Truth through Jesus, the Prosperity Gospel, Old and New Testaments and Bible in the light, the gender of God, translating beyond language, and much more.
Check out Epostle.net for the latest and daily updates.
Links
Bishop Daniel at St. Leon Cathedral (10/9/22)
The Next Step Interview with Bp. Daniel (2018)
Holy Spirit Building the Church
Cover Photo: Vahe Sargsyan at the 40th anniversary
Produced by Suzie Shatarevyan for Epostle.net
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We’re on StitcherPandora and Apple Podcasts.

 

Don’t Look Up

Next Step with Fr. Vazken #729: Ascension… The story of Christ continues through the Church with a strict command to NOT look up. The work of the Church is around us. The shooting in Texas, the death of children, and conditions of the world… where then to look? Beyond the “whys” is the “where” – making sense of faith on the street and not in the books… The Next Step is a step toward Armodoxy.
Ascension according to Acts
Texas Shooting
NPR: What now?
The Sound of Santour
Produced by Suzie Shatarevyan for InHisShoes.org
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Bubbles

Next Step #726 with Fr. Vazken: Bubbles and more bubbles on Cinco de Mayo. Reflections/meditation on putting together a picnic, a diocese and life. An encore presentation of “Ani Bubbles.”
1927 – Making a Picnic, a Diocese and Life – Fr. Vazken
Building the Body of Christ – Bishop Daniel
Stage of Life in Hinduism 
William Saroyan on the Armenian 
Cinco de Mayo
Zulal
Produced by Suzie Shatarevyan for InHisShoes.org
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Post-God Authority

Next Step #679: Finding authority in a post-God world. Defining boundaries and parameters for defining Christ, Christianity and real magic. A look at life after cancer, plus 10: Crutches, friendship and family. A humbling look at the ego. Wrapping up 13 years of podcasting: the virtual church.
Forty Days to Healing by Fr. Vazken
60 Minutes: UFOs regular sighting by military
WD168 this week
Parik Nazarian Cycle of Life and on Cycle of Life on Amazon
Cover: Sunset over Redwood Shores, Fr. Vazken 2021
Produced by Suzie Shatarevyan for InHisShoes.org
Listen via Stitcher Radio on demand!
Listen on Apple Podcasts