BISHOP MESROP’S LENTEN MESSAGE 2025

My dear friends,

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.

Think about this: If you intentionally hurt a good friend, whether you are a believer or not, something deep inside of you tells you that you need to say you’re sorry. What’s more, whether you say it out loud to your friend or just think it to yourself, you’ll resolve not to hurt them again. But chances are good that someday you will. And that is similar to the all-too-human cycle of sin and sorrow and sinning again.

As the Church points out, we are all sinners, and we all need repentance. We all need to confess our sin and sinfulness and ask for God’s forgiveness. Yet repentance isn’t about walking around in shame; it’s about turning back to the open arms of our loving Father. Its aim is not for us to feel diminished. It is to help us grow in our spirituality and in our closeness with God.

So don’t be afraid to look inside yourself. God loves you no matter what.

This Lent, walk with confidence, knowing that you are never alone. God is right there, holding your hand, guiding your steps, and preparing you for the joy of Resurrection morning.