SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 16, 2001

Isaiah 49:13-23, Galatians 6:14-18, John 3:13-21

Dear Faithful,

With thy peace, O Christ our Savior, which passeth all understanding and speech, defend us and keep us fearless from all evil; make us equal to thy true worshippers, who worship thee in spirit and in truth; for unto the most holy Trinity is fitting glory, dominion and honor, now and forever and unto the ages of ages, Amen.

Who would have imagined what took place in a one hour time span this past Tuesday morning on September 11, 2001? The unthinkable happened! A tragic and sad reminder of how one can never imagine what tomorrow brings. Another "day that will live in infamy", which our minds can barely comprehend.

Yesterday Americans lived with the ideals of peace, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, Today we live with the looming possibility of WAR, the world having been turned upside down.

It is human nature to live life as if it will never end. With this comes complacency and laziness in the realm of spirituality-- thinking that there is always tomorrow. With prosperity, we have become misled into a false sense of independence and self-sufficiency. With the suddenness of unexpected tragedy, the foundations of our lives have become shaken. Today, we have been rattled at the core of our humanity, having been confronted with the frightening reality that we have no real power in this world much less over our own lives.

Amazingly however, in the face of this tragedy, we have seen an amazing transformation. This week we have witnessed a nation at prayer, a nation of diverse people banding together, a nation looking to strive for the common good and the welfare of others, a nation in mourning and a nation standing proud under God. This tragedy has driven us into the loving and merciful arms of God, into the arms of a Savior, who alone can transform the evil work of Satan into an opportunity for good and a possibility of new life.

This is the paradox of the Feast that Armenians are celebrating today, The Feast of the Holy Cross. Christ used the instrument of death as a means to reconcile the world to His Father—the just for the unjust. For us, Armenian Christians, the Sign of the Holy Cross has been miraculously transformed into a sign of peace, life and God’s goodwill toward mankind.

It is only in His death that Christ won resurrection and eternal life for us. What a great comfort knowing that he who is life and resurrection is with us, now and even unto the end of the age.

He will comfort us, He will bare our burdens, he will vindicate us, and He will give us courage, strength and consolation. He is the Resurrection and the life and if He is with us who can dare to be against us. Yes, like Joseph said to his brothers, "you meant it for evil, but God meant it for good". This is the miracle of Christ’s transforming presence in His Church and in our lives—the paradox of the Holy Cross.

Let us find consolation in his God’s mercy, in his care, in his promise of eternal life. Like children, let us see that our future is secured not in ourselves, but under the protection of the Holy Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, in Peace.

My dear brothers and sisters, it is my most profound and sincere prayer today that through this Badarak as the one acceptable sacrifice to Almighty and merciful God sealed in the Blood of Christ, He grant LOVE, STABILITY and PEACE to the whole world. I pray this especially for the United States of America, her President, the government, the public servants, the military, the police, the fire department and her many citizens, especially for those who grieve and for those who work so hard hand in hand for the effort of rehabilitation and recovery. God bless America, Amen.

In Christ

Der Shnork †