Lraper Church Bulletin 11/08/2005
Contact: Deacon Vagharshag Seropyan
Armenian Patriarchate
TR-34130 Kumkapi, Istanbul
T: +90 (212) 517-0970, 517-0971
F: +90 (212) 516-4833, 458-1365
lraper@lraper.org
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THE PATRIARCH: “JESUS CHRIST PREACHED RECONCILIATION AND PEACE!”
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His Beatitude Mesrob II, Armenian Patriarch of Istanbul and All Turkey,
visited the Armenian Parish of Srpots Vartanants, the largest in
Istanbul, on the morning of Sunday 7 August 2005, the Carnival of the
Fast of the Holy Mother of God.
At the entrance of the church, as the bells joyfully announced the
patriarchal visit, His Beatitude was greeted by members of the Parish
Council, headed by the Chairman Rober Kucukaltunyan. Following a
consultation in the reception room of the Parish concerning a few
community and church concerns, the Patriarch presided over the Liturgy.
The Divine Liturgy
The Divine Liturgy was celebrated by the Very Revd. Father Zakeos
Ohanyan. Deacon Setrag Davuthan, Stole-bearer Armenak Kazanciyan and a
group of young acolytes served at the altar. The hymns of the Divine
Liturgy were sung by the Srpots Vartanants Choir conducted by Adrusan
Hallacyan. The Ferikoy Church was completely filled with the faithful
of the 20,000-strong parish, with the members of the Parish Council
attending. Also present were a group of young Italians from the St.
Egidio Community of Rome.
The Prince of Peace
At the end of the Divine Liturgy, His Beatitude the Patriarch preached
on the Lord Jesus Christ as the true head and chief shepherd of the
Church, in reference to Ephesians 5:23. He is the Prince of Peace (Is
9:6), of whom the heavenly angelic hosts sang to the shepherds at his
birth in Bethlehem: “Praise to God in the highest, and peace on earth to
those whom he favours” (Lk 2:13-15). It was he who sent out his
disciples to spread the good news to all nations, saying, “All authority
in heaven and on earth has been given to me!” (Mt 28:18).
Jesus Christ preached peace
The Patriarch said, “The greeting, ‘Peace be with you’ (Lk 24:36; Jn
20:21), which we hear frequently in the Liturgy, is not just empty
words.” It is the essence of the Gospel of Jesus Christ who came into
the world for the salvation of humankind: “Peace I leave with you; my
peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not
let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid” (Jn 14:27).
Jesus Christ advised his disciples not to lose their inner peace even in
times of difficulty, trouble, persecution and pain. “I have said this to
you, so that in me you may have peace. In the world you face
persecution. But take courage; I have conquered the world!” (Jn 16:33).
Loving even one’s enemies
Jesus Christ left such a legacy of peace that people of violence, or
victims of violence, have sometimes put the blame of defeat on the
peaceful and reconciliatory messages of Jesus Christ: “Blessed are the
peacemakers, for they will be called children of God” (Mt 5:9). “But I
say to you that if you are angry with a brother or a sister, you will be
liable to judgment; and if you insult a brother or sister, you will be
liable to the council; and if you say, ‘You fool,’ you will be liable to
the hell of fire. So when you are offering your gift at the altar, if
you remember that your brother or sister has something against you,
leave your gift there before the altar and go; first be reconciled to
your brother or sister, and then come and offer your gift” (Mt 5:22-24).
“But love your enemies, do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return.
For God is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. Be merciful, just as your
Father is merciful” (Lk 6:35,36). These verses from the Bible show that
Christianity is a religion of reconciliation, tolerance, peace and
understanding. There is no verse on any page of the Gospel that
supports violence or terrorism. Defense of one’s self or one’s
community is something different. Of course, in history there have been
individuals or groups who have called themselves Christians and have
chosen the way of armed violence and tyranny . But they were motivated
not by the Gospel of love and peace but by their own personal, social,
national or state interests. Today no one can say that someone engaged
in terrorist attacks or murders has done so “in the name of
Christianity.” Thus the leaders of the Church must condemn every sort
of violence and terror, wherever it comes from and for whatever reason,
since it is directed against innocent people, whether bystanders or
those charged with the duty of providing security, and it leaves
children orphans, women widows, and parents childless.
The importance of love of God and mankind
Once a Pharisee asked the Lord Jesus which commandment in the Law was
the greatest. The Lord Jesus answered as follows: “‘Love the Lord your
God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’
This is the greatest and first commandment. And a second is like it:
‘You shall love your neighbour as yourself'” (Mt 22:38-39). The Lord
Jesus finished by saying that the entire Law and the Prophets rest on
these two commandments, that is the love of God and of mankind. In the
Upper Room the Lord Jesus washed the feet of His disciples, and once
Judas Iscariot had left in the darkness of the night he said to those
who remained, “I give you a new commandment, that you love one another.
Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another. By this
everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one
other” (Jn 13:34-35). The Lord Jesus loved his disciples and all
humanity so much that he took it on himself to be crucified for
everyone, and in the place of everyone, as the Divine, Holy, and Eternal
Sacrifice. When speaking about this event in the Upper Room, the Lord
continued: “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have
loved you. No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for
one’s friends. You are my friends If you do what I command” (Jn
15:12-14).
Following the arrest, torture, crucifixion, and death of the Lord Jesus,
and after the three days in the tomb, the resurrection in glory and
ascension to heaven, we see in the New Testament that his mother Mary,
the extended family of Christ, the disciples, the myrrh-bearing women,
altogether some 120 people, “all with one mind were constantly devoting
themselves to prayer” (Acts 1:12-15). Following Pentecost, as the
believers devoted themselves to the teachings of the apostles, to
fellowship, to the breaking of bread, and to prayer, their peacefulness
and their unity of heart was a strong witness to the Founder of the
Community of Love; and the number of Christians grew from day to day
(Acts 2:42-47).
The Lord Jesus praised the love of friends
On one occasion at Capernaum, on the shore of the Lake of Galilee, the
Lord Jesus performed a miracle before a crowd of onlookers in order to
commend the love of God and of friends. The place was so crowded that
there was no space for anyone to move in the house where the Lord Jesus
was speaking. At that moment four people brought a paralyzed person on a
mat. They tried to carry their sick friend inside, but it was
impossible. So they climbed on to the roof, opened it, and, using
ropes tied on four sides, lowered their friend on the mat in front of
the Lord Jesus. The Lord Jesus was deeply moved. These four people
showed great faith and loving attachment to their friend. St. John, who
probably also was there, was later to write, “Those who say, ‘I love
God,’ and hate their brothers or sisters, are liars; for those who do
not love a brother or sister whom they have seen, cannot love God whom
they have not seen. The commandment we have from him is this: those who
love God must love their brothers and sisters also'” (1 John 4:20-21).
The Lord Jesus first forgave the sins of the paralyzed person, healing
the spirit, and then in front of everyone ordered, “I say to you, stand
up, take your mat and go home!” And everyone saw that the paralytic
indeed stood up, immediately took the mat and left. They were amazed
and began to glorify God (Mk 2:1-12). This miracle of the Lord Jesus
demonstrated that he was able to cure all physical and spiritual
illnesses. The Lord Jesus can heal us all; it is sufficient that we
accept him as Our Lord and Saviour. Let us gather in His Church, and
around the Holy Table let us each become friends, brothers, sisters,
members of the great Family of Faith.
Ayk Murzyan receives the grace of the Reader’s Stole
After his homily, His Beatitude presided over the service for the repose
of the souls of departed Ferikoy brothers and sisters.
Then the Patriarch gave permission for Ayk Murzyan to wear the “urar”
stole. Ayk Murzyan was named as a candidate for the stole-bearer’s
service in a petition to the Patriarchal Spiritual Council co-signed
months before by Father Zakeos Ohanyan, the pastor of the Ferikoy
Church, and the Srpots Vartanants Choral Association. From now on, Ayk
Murzyan, with the rank of “Uraragir Tbir,” can read the Gospel during
the Liturgy in the absence of deacons and sub-deacons.
Fellowship meal
The members of the Parish Council hosted His Beatitude the Patriarch in
the Nazar Sirinoglu Hall for a fellowship meal prepared by members of
the women’s guild. Participants at the meal were the Pastor of the
Ferikoy community, the Parish Council, the Choir members, the Women’s
Guild, the Social Aid committee, members of other auxiliary groups, and
the Italian youth group belonging to the St. Egidio Community. During
the meal Father Zakeos thanked the Patriarch in the name of the parish
for his blessed visit. He also welcomed the members of the St. Egidio
Community and thanked them for the hospitality and friendship they
showed him when he was studying in Italy. Following the fellowship
meal, His Beatitude paid tribute to the Pastor, the Parish Council, the
Choir, the Women’s Guild, and other auxiliary groups for their dedicated
work. He thanked them for their hospitality and love and concluded the
meal with a prayer of thanksgiving.