2018 Hrashapar Message

Bishop Anoushavan’s Message:

“Leader of life and bestower of mercy, O Christ our God”

Dear faithful parishioners and precious friends of the Eastern Prelacy:
I give thanks to almighty God, through whose divine plan, on Saturday, September 8, the special National Representative Assembly (NRA) elected me as the 5th Prelate of the Armenian Apostolic Church of America (Eastern Prelacy). Having served for the last 34 years of my life in the Eastern Prelacy as a preacher, pastor, and Vicar, I am now invited with the heaviest burden to offer my modest contribution to the treasury of our centuries old nation and church.

First, with deep filial respect, I would like to express my gratitude to His Holiness Aram I, the Catholicos of the Great House of Cilicia, for the confidence he has shown towards me.

I direct my second expression of appreciation to my predecessor, His Eminence Archbishop Oshagan, whose brotherly care I have enjoyed at the Seminary as an older brother, then as a fellow member of the Brotherhood, and later here in the United States as a colleague and his Vicar General.

My third expression of appreciation is directed to the members of the National Representative Assembly (NRA), representing our parishes, who, undertaking a double sacrifice, fulfilled their sacred duty.

Also, I offer prayer and incense for the souls of Catholicoi Zareh and Khoren, of blessed memory, who took the Prelacy under their paternal jurisdiction and organized it; likewise for the souls of the late Prelates—Archbishop Hrant, Archbishop Karekin (later Catholicos) and Archbishop Mesrob, who served in this Prelacy, in the words of the Apostle Paul, as “a workman who has no need to be ashamed.”

Beloved,
With respect to the election, allow me to share my convictions with you all. Two thousand years ago, the Armenian people elected their one and only Leader/Arachnort, God the Father, the creator of the universe, who was fully revealed in and through His only begotten Son, our Lord Jesus the Christ, and who works in and through the Holy Spirit, since the coming of the Holy Spirit (Pentecost) until the second coming (of Christ), and in all eternity. As dedicated (Antsink Nviryal) followers of that Leader (Arachnort), the believers in the Armenian reality, from all walks of life, from the least to the greatest, going “between fire and sword,” formed and shaped Armenian life, Armenian history, whose heir is the present generation, who is also invited to live with the same conscious responsibility and to transmit this glorious inheritance to the next generation.

With this understanding, the NRA delegates, as in the past 60 years, today as well, renewed their commitment to Christ, the Leader (Arachnort) of life and giver of mercy, electing me as overseer, just as the celebrant in the Divine Liturgy (Soorp Badarak) prays for the Prelate, “Grant…long life to lead us in orthodox faith,” to be a steward in the vineyard of the Lord.

Yes, dear believers, as in all aspects of life generally, any position, great or small, requires cognizance of responsibility and total commitment in the spirit of meekness and humility, the same, and more, is true in spiritual life. Specially, in the case of a spiritual overseer, it is expected, as much as possible, that he should always be renewed and renew, like every heartbeat, live and share the successes and concerns of every single parish.

I am aware that the burden of any spiritual leader is heavy, but the burden of an Armenian clergyman is twice as heavy, because it embraces different obligations, which are unique to the servants of the Armenian Church, starting with St. Gregory the Illuminator, Mesrob Mashdots and Sahag Catholicos, and Ghevont Yerets to this day, and beyond. We believe following the message that comes from Christ, in that, “Give to the emperor the things that are the emperor’s, and to God the things that are God’s,” with divine wisdom and led by love, we would do just distribution of irrigation of water as laborers in the vineyard of the Lord, in anticipation of the best harvest, for the strengthening and the advancement of the Armenian Church and nation.

From this perspective, we assume the current position, always remaining a disciple of our Leader (our Arachnort), the Lord Jesus Christ, and the wisdom of our Fathers, who lived by His Gospel, who had their decisive role in the spiritual, political, charitable, and cultural life of the children of the Araratian land.

And today, after having commemorated the 100th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide as a nation and having canonized the martyrs, we celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Republic of Armenia throughout the year, as the best representation of the resurrection of the Armenian people. And as we fix our eyes towards a promising future, I am hopeful that this new ministry which began with the “Hrashapar” service will become a God-pleasing link connecting the Prelacy’s past six decades of service to the future, for which I ask the support of all of you, as I conclude with the words of the Seminary’s anthem:

Heart to heart and hand to hand
The lifted cross our vow’s burden
Let us go forth, O Brothers;
Retreat is an act of dishonor;
Let us run with a vigilant spirit,
Toward our intended goal.

Religion’s fire and love of nation
Twin desires intimate and familiar
Let them be an immaculate fire
Of inspiration for our souls;
The two in one inseparable,
A holy place in our hearts.

Yes, the Seminary’s anthem and the spirit of its words, taught by our clergy and lay educators, shaped our minds and spirit and left their indelible mark in the formation of our personality and character,
— to work always heart to heart and hand to hand;
— to look always to the Holy Cross and to be renewed by the unnegotiable spirit of sacrifice and hope of resurrection that emanates from it;
— to be inspired always by intransient values, as are the fire of religion and love of nation, and to combine the heavenly blessing of religion to the worldly gift of nation, without separating them from each other, but also without confusing the one with the other;
— and finally, to move always forward towards the goal without becoming weak.

With this vision, I humbly assume this new responsibility entrusted to me, reciting the words of the prayer, “Leader/Arachnort of life and bestower of mercy, O Christ our God,” your chosen Armenian people who put their trust in you as a nation, they were sacrificed on your table of sacrifice as a nation, keep and guard them, guiding them to all eternity. Amen.

Bishop Anoushavan
Prelate
Armenian Apostolic Church of America (Eastern Prelacy)

St. Illuminator’s Armenian Apostolic Cathedral
New York City
September 22, 2018