BISHOP MESROP’S LENTEN MESSAGE 2025

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We have entered the Season of Lent, and I want you to know that I will be praying for each and every one of you as you take this journey of reflection and preparation for the Resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ at Easter.
Great Lent is a time of many rich traditions in our Armenian Apostolic Church. It’s a time to engage in prayer, fasting, and giving—practices that open the door to God’s grace. I encourage you to take part in them and to be enriched in your spiritual life. Open yourself to the great love that God has for you. Listen for His voice and where it calls you.

Lent also reminds us of our need for repentance and the honest recognition that we are sinners who fall short of God’s glory. To many in the modern world, the very concept of sin seems old-fashioned. Yet, sin is part of our human nature; brokenness is our human condition.

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A LEGACY OF FAITH AND COURAGE

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Today, we celebrate the feast day of St. Ghevont, the priest, and his clergy brothers. In the fifth century, when our people faced one of the greatest threats in their history and the Persian Empire sought to erase Armenia’s Christian identity, St. Ghevont and his clergy brothers stood boldly with the Armenian army for their faith and their nation, defying impossible odds.

On the eve of the Battle of Avarayr, May 24, AD 451, when the enemy was closing in, St. Ghevont gathered the soldiers, celebrated Badarak, administered Holy Communion, and even baptized those who had not yet been received into the church. And with his words, he reminded them about the love of God and that no battle, no hardship, not even death itself, could separate them from His love.

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FEAST OF THE PRESENTATION OF THE LORD

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Today, the Armenian Church celebrates the Feast of the Presentation of our Lord, the moment when the forty-day-old baby Jesus was brought to the temple by His mother, Mary, and Joseph. They came to fulfill the law, to offer a sacrifice, to do what was expected. But what seemed like an ordinary ritual became an extraordinary revelation!

Because in that temple, there were two people who had been waiting, watching, believing. Simeon, a devout man, and Anna, a prophetess—two people who refused to give up, who held onto hope when it seemed like nothing was changing. And on that day, their faith was rewarded!

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NATIVITY OF THE HOLY VIRGIN MARY

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Today, we celebrate the Nativity of the Holy Virgin Mary, the Holy Mother-of-God. The story of Mary’s birth is an amazing example of how God can work through impossible situations to bring about His divine plan. It’s a powerful reminder of God’s faithfulness in our own lives and the importance of trusting Him, even when the odds seem stacked against us.

The parents of Mary, Joachim, and Anna were devout and faithful, but they had a challenge that seemed impossible to overcome—they were childless and had grown old. For years, they had prayed for a child, believing, trusting, holding onto faith—even when it seemed impossible. Year after year, seeing no sign of hope. But they never stopped believing and praying.

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BUILDING THE ALTAR OF LIGHT

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Over seventeen centuries ago, in the heart of Armenia, a vision changed the course of our faith. St. Gregory saw a brilliant light descending from heaven, marking the very spot where the Mother Cathedral of Holy Etchmiadzin would be built. This was no ordinary light; it was the light of Christ Himself, illuminating the path for a nation and its people.

St. Gregory called out to the Armenian people with a message that resonates with us today: “Come, let us build the Altar of Light, for it is here that the Light has dawned upon us.” …

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RISING FROM THE PIT

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Today, we celebrate the Feast of St. Gregory the Illuminator’s Deliverance from the Pit. Over 1,700 years ago, King Trdat threw St. Gregory into a dark pit near Mount Ararat. It was a prison, a place of suffering, meant to break his spirit. St. Gregory endured unimaginable hardship for thirteen long years, but he never lost his faith. He trusted that God had a plan, even in his darkest moments.

This is a powerful story that resonates with each of us because, at some point in our lives, we’ve all found…

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PRAYER TO THE HOLY SPIRIT

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On this sacred day of Pentecost, we gather before You, humbled by Your divine presence and eager to receive Your abundant blessings. As we celebrate the wondrous descent of Your power upon the disciples, we open our hearts and minds to Your guiding light. Holy Spirit, fill us with Your wisdom and understanding. Grant us the clarity to discern Your will and the courage to follow Your path. Help us to shed our doubts and fears, and let Your flame ignite our souls with faith and fervor. …

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THE FEAST OF THE APPARITION OF THE CROSS

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The “Feast of the Apparition of the Cross” on the Armenian Church’s liturgical calendar commemorates a historical event that took place in Jerusalem in 351 A.D. during the patriarchate of St. Cyril of Jerusalem.

In a letter to the Byzantine Emperor, St. Cyrill wrote: “The all-victorious Sign of the Cross, formed of light, appeared over the sky extending from Holy Golgotha to the Mount of Olives….

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ANNUNCIATION OF MARY

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Today, we celebrate the Feast of the Annunciation of Mary, the Mother of God. This is the day the angel Gabriel announced to Mary that she would bear the Son of God: an ordinary girl, in an ordinary town, receiving an extraordinary message. And Mary’s response to this unfathomable news was one of humble acceptance. She said, “Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word” (Luke 1:38).

Friends, St. Mary’s story is not just a beautiful beginning to the greatest story ever told; it’s also a lesson for all of us. In that instant, …

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THREE LESSONS FROM THE THIRD APPARITION

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Gospel of John 21:12 reading recounts the third apparition of our risen Lord Jesus Christ to His disciples, a moment that contains powerful lessons of hope, renewal, and divine provision.

Picture the scene: The disciples, having faced the turmoil of their Master’s crucifixion and the wonder of His resurrection, find themselves at the Sea of Tiberias. Peter decides to fish, and though they work hard all night, they catch nothing. But as the sun rises, a mysterious figure on the shore tells them to try the other side of the boat. When they listen, they’re blessed with an incredible catch—153 fish!

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