Holy Etchmiadzin: Our Sacred Bond of Faith

Այսօր, ինչպես ըսի, Կաթողիկե Սուրբ Էջմիածնի տոնն է, և այսօր է, երբ կհիշենք այդ շարք մը տոները, որոնք կպատահին հենց հունիսին մեջ և կկոչվին Արարատյան տոներ։ Այս տոներն են, երբ մենք կհիշենք հաստատման պատմությունը, որ, ի շնորհիվ Սուրբ Հոգուն և մեր եկեղեցու հայրերու գործունեության, հաշվի կառնե այն սրբերը, որոնց նկարները՝ սրբապատկերները, կախված են այս սուրբ տաճարին ներս։ Ունինք Սուրբ Գրիգոր Լուսավորիչ, Սուրբ Գայանե, Սուրբ Հռիփսիմե և այլն։ Այս բոլորը իրենց զոհաբերությամբ կարողացան հաստատել Հայաստանյայց Առաքելական Եկեղեցին։

Հայաստանյայց Առաքելական Եկեղեցին ունի այդ երկու բառերը՝ «Հայաստանյայց» և նաև «Առաքելական»։ Երկուքն ալ կարևոր են։ «Հայաստանյայցը» կհիշեցնե, որ ասիկա ազգային եկեղեցի է։ Ազգային եկեղեցին այն եկեղեցին է, որ կծառայե և Հիսուսի Ավետարանը կներկայացնե մեկ ազգի և, իր մշակույթով ու արտահայտությամբ, կնկարագրե այդ ազգի յուրահատուկ նկարագիրը, բայց միշտ հավատարիմ և ճշմարիտ կմնա Հիսուսի Ավետարանին։ Ուրեմն ասիկա «Հայաստանյայց» բաժինն է։

«Առաքելական» բաժինը ուրիշ բան կնշանակե, որովհետև ադիկա մեր հաստատման պատմությունն է, որ Սուրբ Գրիգոր Լուսավորիչեն առաջ սկսավ առաքյալներով, Ոսկյանց և Սուքիասյանց սրբերով, և առաքելական հեղինակության շարունակությունն է մեր ժողովուրդի կյանքին մեջ՝ առաքելական ժամանակաշրջանեն մինչև այսօր։

Եվ այսօր, երբ կտոնախմբենք Սուրբ Էջմիածնի տոնը, բոլորս կհիշենք, որ Սուրբ Էջմիածինը աշխարհի ամենահին մայր տաճարն է, որ կծառայե իբրև կենտրոնական միջոց, որպեսզի մենք բոլորս իրարու հետ կապի մեջ մնանք։ Մեր կենտրոնն է՝ այդ hub-ն է։ Ինքը հոգևորապես այն գործիքն է, որ կկապե Հայաստանյայց Առաքելական Եկեղեցու բոլոր զավակները աշխարհի շուրջ՝ այսօր, երեկ և վաղը։

Ուրեմն այսօր փառք կտանք Աստծո այս պարգևին համար, որ է Սուրբ Էջմիածինը։ Մեր ժողովուրդին համար մեր հպարտությունն է, մեր օրհնությունն է, և մենք պետք է հիշենք, որ այդ ուղղությամբ է, որ պետք է դառնանք, երբ կուզենք հիշել, թե ինչ կնշանակե հայ քրիստոնյա ըլլալ։ Ուր որ ենք, այո՛, տարբեր ու յուրահատուկ կյանքեր կապրինք, սակայն այդ կապը վերահաստատելու և վերանորոգելու համար պետք է դառնանք դեպի Սուրբ Էջմիածին՝ Մայր Աթոռ Սուրբ Էջմիածին։

When I was a young man, I had the opportunity to visit the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin for the first time, at around the age of eighteen or nineteen. It was a profoundly life-changing experience. Each and every opportunity that I have had to be in the shade of the hallowed walls of that oldest cathedral in the world—the oldest cathedral in continuous operation—I have felt a resonant vibration, a spirit essential not only to the renewal of my own personal spiritual life, but also to the connection that I appreciate, and frankly require, with my brothers and sisters of the Armenian Church, those who came before me, and those who will come after.

The Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin, our sacred cathedral, for untold generations past and generations to come, has been the hub through which we find our connection to one another. Though we may live in disparate situations and be scattered throughout the world—in Singapore, Africa, South America, Europe and Eurasia, and the United States—and though all of us live unique and distinct lives, we must remember that we are bound by the sacred institution known as Holy Etchmiadzin. It was divinely established through the vision that St. Gregory the Illuminator received at the time of the establishment of the national church.

We are the Armenian Apostolic Church. In Armenian, we say “Hayastanyayts.” It is the Church of Armenia, not the Church of Armenians, but it is meant to serve the nation. That is the way churches were originally established in the apostolic era: churches were built to serve local people in a way that resonated with them and spoke to their culture and unique character, while always remaining true to the orthodox Gospel of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

While there may be distinctions in the expression of our faith in the Armenian Apostolic Church—from one church to another or from one national church to another—the core faith is, and must always remain, the same. It is the charge Christ has given us to remain one with Him, so that His Church, His body, should remain one. We do so not by making sure that we sing all the same songs, but by making sure that we all preach the same Gospel. That is the most important thing.

In our passage today from the Gospel of John, Jesus says, “I am one with the Father.” We are part of Christ’s body by being members of the Church, and through Him we too can become one with the Father. This is the mystery with which we are blessed through the Catholicon of Holy Etchmiadzin. “Catholicon” refers to a Greek word used in an ancient context that speaks to the universality of the institution: it belongs to all and serves all.

The apostolic component of our title is also very important. We are able to call ourselves apostolic because we can trace a line all the way back to the apostles themselves—to a time before we were a national church, before St. Gregory the Illuminator and all the events that established Holy Etchmiadzin, and back to the earliest days of Christianity through the apostles Thaddeus and Bartholomew.

We should consider this most precious and unbroken line the most sacred gift that we have received as a Church. Through our faith and loyalty to this line, we may rest assured that the teachings, doctrines, and traditions of this Church contain something which is of God and from God. In that we place our trust—not in our own identity, preferences, or experiences, but in a blessing far greater than we can ever know or comprehend.

Returning to my first visit to Holy Etchmiadzin as a young man, at that time a fairly recent discovery had been made during excavations beneath the main altar. Holy Etchmiadzin has several altars—in fact, seven—and at the appropriate times the Divine Liturgy is celebrated at each of them. But there is one main altar. Beneath it, excavators discovered an ancient pagan altar that far predated the early Christian era of the Armenian people.

It was fascinating to descend into the excavation site. They do not allow people to go there anymore, because it was realized that people could not simply walk around an ancient archaeological site when some were taking souvenirs home. But at that time, you could. As we descended into that ancient chamber and saw the pagan altar, it was profoundly impressive because of the apparent age of what had been discovered.

It raised a question: this was a place where Armenians had been trying to develop a relationship with the Creator—with something, some power greater than themselves—even before the time of Jesus Christ. I cannot tell you exactly how far back it dates. The altar was probably about twenty feet beneath the ground, below the present holy altar. At that time, we all gave thanks to God because we said, “In this space, we have found the continuity of our struggle to understand our Creator and our place in the universe.” We saw a through line that brought us from searching to discovery, and then to certainty—a place where we can trust in our faith and be mutually devoted to our commitment as Christians.

In recent times, however, some people have taken a different approach. They have said, “This is where we came from. We were not Christians; we were pagans, and we were led astray by the Christian faith. Our pagan roots have been covered up and Christianized, so we must return to those ancient roots.” A small minority of people have said this. At places such as Garni, the ancient pagan temple in Armenia, people now conduct what they imagine an ancient pagan ritual may have looked like.

People have freedom of conscience and may make their own choices about how they wish to worship. I bring this up only because this line of thinking is one of which we should be extremely cautious. We should be wary of it and reject it, because the lesson of Holy Etchmiadzin is that there is a journey—a journey on which we are always longing to be in relationship with our Creator. Along that journey, we will make mistakes and struggle to find the truth. But when we find the truth, we must embrace it and live accordingly.

As Christ said in the Gospel, the old wineskin cannot hold the new wine because it will burst. For the winemakers in the congregation, that is a matter of fermentation, flexibility, and the ability to expand. The new wineskin can hold the new wine. This means that when we encounter newness, we must conform ourselves to it and grow with it.

As a nation, as a people, and as individuals, we must have faith in the growth of which we are now a part. We may have made mistakes along the way, but that does not mean we made the wrong choice. Indeed, remaining loyal to one another and remaining one through the body of Jesus Christ is the most precious gift that has protected the Armenian people throughout the centuries and will continue to do so in the years and centuries to come.

Today, even as we install the parish council members who are present and they make an oath of commitment and loyalty to serve the Church and remain obedient to its doctrines and teachings, let us do the same within our own hearts. Let us do so knowing that this faith did not guide our forefathers astray and will not guide us astray today. No matter what may tempt us or be presented to us, we must find the truth and the light, as it says above our holy altar, in our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. For His glory, in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen.