“And that you put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness
and true holiness.” (Ephesians 4:24).
With the miraculous birth of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and with every New Year, the very fabric of our being is changed through the inscrutable mystery, which elevates the humanity to a new level of spirituality. This transformation is nothing else than a rebirth in Jesus Christ.
Righteousness and holiness are the attributes of God, the expression of His divinity. In the course of life, willingly or unwillingly, we sometimes estrange ourselves from God by rejecting His divine attributes. The more we further ourselves from God, the more we alienate ourselves from justice and truthfulness. Our egocentric endeavors bring devastating harm not only to us but also to our surroundings. Warfare, social injustice, religious and cultural intolerance, racial discrimination, extremism, and hatred in the world exist because we fail to put our trust in the Omnipotent God. The only way to defeat the adversary and overcome our ego is to “put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.” (Ephesians 4:24).
The message of New Year and Christmas are interestingly interwoven. With the turning of the last page of the calendar, we celebrate the new beginning in our lives and herald the good tidings, which bring hope, renewal, and light. As we rejoice the birth of a child, we similarly exult with happiness when we experience spiritual rebirth within us in the newness of life.
The year 2015 is very special for the Armenians around the globe, for we commemorate the centennial of the Armenian Genocide. As a nation, we bow our heads to the memory of the martyrs with reverence and honor, pledging to protect the religious and cultural heritage they have entrusted to us. It is an obliging commitment for the living generations to strive to excel in every aspect of life, prosper and thrive in the face of adversity to show the unbreakable resilience of our resurrected nation and its unequivocal faith in Jesus Christ. In doing so, we also pledge our love and loyalty to Motherland Armenia, and the Armenian Holy Apostolic Church – unshakable guarantors of our very existence.
And indeed, there is not a more practical way to realize this than to invest in our youth by empowering and equipping them with necessary tools to confront the challenges of today‟s society. With this idea in mind, we have dedicated the year 2015 to our youth. Through various projects and initiatives, we commit to instill in the hearts of our sons and daughters a strong sense of belonging and ownership so that they become visionary leaders of the future. As the Primate of the Western Diocese and a spiritual leader, we aim to guide our youth through Christ‟s path of righteousness, direct their steps towards the source of light, towards Holy Etchmiadzin – the birthplace of our souls.
In conclusion, we would like to wish you long and blessed years of life, good health, and continued success in all your God-pleasing endeavors. We pray and ask the Almighty to keep His watch over you and safeguard your boat so that you may sail to His safe harbors through the turbulent waters of life. May you have a happy New Year and a Merry Christmas!
“Christ is born and revealed! Blessed is the revelation of Christ!”
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