Entries by stjohn

TRANSFORMED BY HIS GLORY

Today, we celebrate the Feast of the Transfiguration. In Matthew 17, Jesus takes Peter, James, and John up to a high mountain. There, He is transfigured before them: His face shines like the sun, and His clothes become dazzling white. Suddenly, Moses and Elijah appear, talking with Him. Overwhelmed, Peter suggests building three shelters. As he speaks, a bright cloud envelops them, and a voice declares, “This is my Son, whom I love; with Him I am well pleased. Listen to Him!”

Imagine standing on that mountain, seeing the radiant glory of our Lord, His face …

A LESSON FROM THE LIBERTY BELL

One of America’s most cherished symbols of freedom and independence is the Liberty Bell, cast way back in 1751. When I visited Philadelphia, I made sure to see the Liberty Bell. It’s a majestic sight, but you can’t help but notice something – the crack. Actually, it has several cracks. Right after it was cast, it developed its first crack. Over time, these cracks have become a part of its story.

Those cracks in the Liberty Bell remind us that freedom isn’t perfect. It’s not without its challenges and struggles. But those cracks also remind us of something else. Even though the Liberty Bell is cracked, it still rings.

DEATH OF KAREN JEPPE

Karen Jeppe was the guardian angel of Armenian orphans. Her memory is still alive, especially through the high school that bears her name in Aleppo, which constitutes a tribute to her sacrifice for the love of the Armenian people.

Karen Jeppe was born on July 1, 1876, in the town of Gylling (Denmark). She received her elementary education in the local school and, after learning German in Germany, she received her high school education at a boarding school in Copenhagen.

Learning about the Hamidian massacres awakened in her the desire to go to the assistance of the Armenians. In 1903, against her father’s will, she departed to Urfa to join the German Mission there.

THE MASTER KEY

At our diocesan center, we have many keys for all the entrance doors. Each key is designed to fit a specific door. If you don’t have the right key, you won’t be able to open that door and gain access. But when I was elected as your bishop, I was given the master key that opened them all. This master key is unique—it can unlock any door in our center, no matter how complex the lock.

Life is filled with difficult doors of decisions and circumstances, and each one requires a different key. We all face situations that seem impossible to unlock.

GUARD YOUR HEART

Our heart is like a garden. What we plant in it will determine what grows. If we plant seeds of faith, hope, and love, we’ll see a harvest of blessings, peace, and joy. But if we let weeds of doubt, bitterness, and negativity take root, they’ll choke out the life God wants us to experience.

The Bible says, “Keep your heart with all diligence” (Proverbs 4:23). That means we have to be proactive. We can’t just let anything and everything into our hearts. We need to be careful about what we watch, what we listen to, and who we allow to influence us.

TWELVE APOSTLES OF CHRIST AND SAINT PAUL, THE THIRTEENTH APOSTLE

Jesus selected twelve apostles to carry on His work and instructed them to preach and to baptize converts all over the world (Mt. 28:19-20). The word apostle derives from the Greek word apostellein  (arakyal in Armenian). The apostles dedicated their lives to spreading the Word and fulfilling the sacred mission entrusted to them. Their mission was not just to transmit the message but to put it into practice.

CHOICES AND CONSEQUENCES

Chapter 13 of the Book of Genesis provides a perfect example of how our choices define our destiny. It tells the story of two men, Abraham and Lot, who were both believers but had very different outcomes.

Abraham, a man of faith, left his homeland of Ur and ventured into the unknown because he trusted God’s promises. He focused on the spiritual, knowing that where God leads, blessings follow. And we see that God rewarded Abraham’s faithfulness, making him the father of many nations. Abraham’s life was marked by peace, prosperity, and God’s favor.

SEVEN NEW PRIESTS ORDAINED BY BISHOP MESROP’S HAND

This week, Diocesan Primate Bishop Mesrop Parsamyan was blessed to ordain seven new priests to serve the Armenian Church. He did so while he was visiting Armenia to attend the Supreme Spiritual Council meeting at Holy Etchmiadzin.

The ordination service took place on Sunday, June 16, at St. Gregory the Illuminator Cathedral in Yerevan. Each of the seven young men who knelt before the altar embodied a unique calling that God had planted in their hearts. These seven represent the first priests to be ordained by the hand of our Primate.

HAPPY FATHERS DAY!

While in Armenia for the Supreme Spiritual Council meeting, I had the blessing of ordaining seven new priests at the St. Gregory the Illuminator Cathedral in Yerevan today. Each of these seven young men who knelt before the altar embodied a unique calling, a divine purpose that God had planted in their hearts.

Father’s Day is a celebration of fatherhood, and this year, it took on a new meaning for me: I became their spiritual father, consecrating them and dedicating them to the Lord. As I laid my hands on each candidate, I felt a profound sense of responsibility and joy.

FATHER’S LOVE

The Spanish have a touching story about an estranged father and son. When the son, Paco, leaves home after a severe argument, the father looks for him everywhere. After months of searching in vain, he takes one last desperate step: he publishes an announcement in one of Madrid’s daily newspapers. The statement reads: “Dear Paco, I will wait for you at the entrance of the Almudena Cathedral on Saturday afternoon. Everything is forgiven. I love you. With longing and love, Your Father.”