ARCHBISHOP DERDERIAN’S EASTER MESSAGE

319_4/10/2009_1
Thursday, April 9, 2009

Christ is Risen from the dead, Blessed is the Resurrection of Christ"
The Resurrection of Christ our Lord, which provides spiritual strength
in our lives as Christians, is the ultimate expression of Divine Love
for humanity. This glorious triumph of Christ over death graces us
continually with a renewed understanding of our Christian faith. This
biggest miracle of all enables us to transform our God-given life into
a renewed, deeper spiritual life. The Resurrection is the powerful
presence of Almighty God in our lives.

The glorious Resurrection of Christ our Lord is the reawakening of the
Church. Indeed, the ineffable divine power of Christ’s Resurrection
is difficult to understand in mere words or logic, but could be
experienced in the spiritual life of each and every faithful and the
life of the Church.

The Resurrection empowers us to live the Word of God in our daily
lives and come closer to God.

"Christ is Risen from the dead, Blessed is the Resurrection of Christ"

By proclaiming that Christ is Risen from the dead we reject the deeds
of darkness in our lives and turn our lives toward the empowering
Light of God. Our forefathers have lived with this Faith and have
taught us to live a life pleasing to God; a life that upholds the
Christian faith, protects the sanctity of family, builds houses of
worship and schools. This faith is complemented with our dedication
to the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin and Armenia, and above all,
our country the United States of America.

The mystery of the blessed Resurrection of Christ our Lord ought
to be reflected in the life of society. Inspired by the victorious
Resurrection we are called to become the good hands of Almighty
God with a strong vision. If humanity has lost the vision of peace,
the main reason is human greed and disrespect to our fellow human
beings. The global financial crisis that societies all over the world
are experience is but one dimension of this. As expressed by the newly
elected head of the Russian Orthodox Church, His Holiness Patriarch
Kyril: "Today, decisions have been affected by attributes such as
greed, loss of control over consumption, a bid to enrich oneself by
all means and have as much as possible; The crisis began when people
forgot true value."

The blessed Resurrection of Christ our Lord impels us to live a
miraculous life, to create and to illuminate the souls of humanity.

"Christ is Risen from the dead, Blessed is the Resurrection of Christ"

May the miracle of the Resurrection of Christ enrich our personal
and communal life, so that we may put on the new person in Christ and
walk with God, becoming co-helpers of God’s creation and to bring up
our children with the mystery of the sanctified life.

May the miracle of the Resurrection of Christ grant us the vision to
become the living Church through the preaching of the Word of God,
and working hard for the revitalization of the Church.

Our faith in the Resurrection of Christ implies that we all are the
living stones of the Church, thus we are challenged to begin a new life
in making God the destiny of our life and above all to see the new life
beyond the horizon, in the hand of God. Archbishop Hovnan Derderian