The sanctity of the Armenian Christian family has permanently been the calling of our ancestors. Undoubtedly, the same calling continues to be the spiritual empowerment for our beloved faithful as the dream of God.
It is imperative that in these trying times the sanctity of the Armenian Christian family remains to be the source of our inspiration and the ultimate purpose of our God-given lives. For us, as Armenian Christians, the family is the House of God. The family is the representation of the Church on a miniature scale. And we firmly believe that the mission and vision of the Armenian family will always be the anchor of our perpetuity.
In his address themed “The Armenian Home,” the late Karekin Khachadourian, the first Primate of the Western Diocese, has referenced to the sanctity of the Armenian family with the following passionate words: “The Armenian Home – preserve the purity of your identity, the lasting covenant of father and mother. Exalt yourself through the adherence of your values and do not trespass on the values of others. Cultivate them through your tireless efforts through the bountiful gifts which have been graced upon you by this country. Leave no place for the deceitfulness in your character. On the contrary, adorn yourself with the graces and bounties which cleanse and enlighten your souls while affirming the seal of your character’s graciousness.”
Referencing to parenthood, Bishop Khachadourian worte: “Armenian Mother and Armenian Father, you are the architects and traditional protectors of the Armenian Home. Be loyal to your calling. Be dedicated to your noble responsibilities, for they are great in number.
You are parents and educators. Therefore, remain steadfast in your calling. It is with heartache that I refer to the challenging environment in which you live. You are obliged to educate, edify, and make wholesome your hearts and souls. Enrich them with sacred teachings that solidify the fortress of the Armenian identity.”
Beloved faithful of the Western Diocese of the Armenian Apostolic Church,
Parents and youth,
We all are living in trying times, yet we should always remind ourselves the legacy entrusted to us by our ancestors – to uphold firm the vision of the sanctity of the Armenian Christian family. Science and technology are gifts to humanity, yet neither of them can equal the ultimate truth of the sanctity of the Christian family in the eyes of God.
I fervently request from parents to convey this same vision to our children as the prayer of their lives. Let this New Year, sanctified with the miraculous Birth of Christ, our Lord, deepen in our hearts the vision of the sanctity of the Armenian Christian family as the journey of our life.
We pray to the Almighty to lead our children and protect them all as they are the Living Church.
May you all be blessed with the love and wisdom of God, so that embracing the mission of the Armenian Christian family, we may always secure within our being the very presence of God against all odds and hurdles of the world.
Prayerfully,
Archbishop Hovnan Derderian
Primate
