Dear Brothers and Sisters
The Teaching of our Lord Jesus Christ, as much as it invites us to think and act collectively, in the meantime highlights the precious value of each individual, as we read in the parables of the Lost Sheep (Lk 15.7) or the lost silver coin (Lk 15.10), etc.
Every person is destined to play a role in the society. Starting at birth, a baby brings amazing and inexplicable joy, and fills life with more meaning and hope. It is truly said that “whoever saves one life saves the world entire,” for the care toward one person reflects the respect toward many, as Jesus said “Whoever is faithful in small matters will be faithful in large ones” (Lk 16.10).
This wonderful understanding once more sparkled like the shining sun when during the recent earthquake in historical Armenian Cilicia (in modern Turkey) and Syria, mainly the city of Aleppo. When the rescuers brought out of the rubble a baby, who had survived for more than one hundred hours, there were tears in everyone’s eyes holding him. Then, they started dancing with joy, and screaming the name “Vartan! Vartan!” This was something incredible because within a few days, we would be celebrating the feast of Saints Vartanants.
As a ray in darkness heralds the dawning of a beautiful new day, likewise any single action of goodness brings comfort, serenity, and hope in our darkened life, overcoming turmoil, destruction, and hopelessness.
I am so grateful to our Compassionate God to announce that with the cooperation of our pastors and with your heartfelt donations, as of yesterday $57,964 has been raised for the Syrian Armenian Relief Fund.