Tag Archive for: Etchmiadzin

THE MOTHER WHO HEALS AND UNITES

This morning, I woke up to the sound of the bells of Holy Etchmiadzin. I arrived at the Mother See last night for the Supreme Spiritual Council meeting. As the bells chimed, I felt the weight of centuries in their echoes. These bells proclaim the endurance of a people, the unbroken faith of a nation. This is where you realize that faith isn’t just an idea; it’s living, breathing, and holding us together like a mother embracing her children.

Etchmiadzin, this holy sanctuary, has been the soul of our people. She has stood steadfast through the storms of history, watching over her children who have lived through the centuries with many pains and only little joys. She has witnessed our triumphs, but more often, she has wept with us in our suffering. And yet, she has never abandoned her children.

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THE LIVING STONES

“You are living stones that God is building into his spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.” (1 Peter 2:5).

What a beautiful image St. Peter gives us of our lives, our faith, and our purpose! He calls us “living stones”, being built up into something incredible—a spiritual house for the Lord. When St. Peter wrote these words, he must have been thinking about the magnificent Temple from the Old Testament, a place where God’s presence dwelled.

When King Solomon built the Temple, there was something remarkable about the process. The Bible tells us that he arranged the construction in such a way that there was only peace and quiet on the construction site: “In building the temple, only blocks dressed at

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THE RECONSECRATION OF HOLY ETCHMIADZIN CATHEDRAL

Today is a day of new beginnings. We stand here at the heart of our faith, in a place where heaven touched earth. Holy Etchmiadzin, the very first Christian cathedral built in the world, has been renewed, restored, and reconsecrated. After centuries of standing as a beacon of hope, a symbol of God’s presence among His people, it has emerged once again, shining brighter than ever before.

As we stand in awe of its beauty, we’re reminded of something powerful: God is always at work restoring, renewing, and rebuilding our lives. We, the people of God, have been through our own season of wear and tear, like the stones of this holy church that weathered countless storms. But God promises, “I will restore the ruins and rebuild them as they were in the days of old” (Isaiah 58:12). When things seem broken when the weight of life’s challenges feels too heavy to bear, we can trust that God’s plan is to restore us, to make us stronger and more radiant than before.

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FEAST OF THE SHOGHAGAT OF HOLY ETCHMIADZIN

The Feast of Shoghagat of Holy Etchmiadzin commemorates the inauguration of the Cathedral of the Mother See. The fifth century Greek historian Agathangelos tells us of St. Gregory the Illuminator’s divine vision, wherein our Lord Jesus Christ descends from Heaven and strikes the ground with His golden hammer.

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BUILDING THE ALTAR OF LIGHT

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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FEAST OF HOLY ETCHMIADZIN

The feast of Holy Etchmiadzin commemorates the establishment of the Armenian Church and the eradication of paganism. The cathedral of Etchmiadzin was built by St. Gregory the Illuminator after his deliverance from the pit, to the specifications he saw in a vision and on the place marked by the Lord with a golden hammer.

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LESSONS FROM HOLY ETCHMIADZIN

Today, I stood in the sacred space that is the spiritual center of our nation: the Mother Cathedral of Holy Etchmiadzin. Though scaffolding lines the walls and dust fills the air, the cathedral remains a beacon of light and guidance for every soul that enters.
As I took pictures, I couldn’t help but think about how the ongoing renovations serve as a poignant metaphor for our spiritual journeys. Just like the Cathedral, we, too are works in progress.

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A VALIANT SPIRIT, FOR 23 YEARS

This week marks the 23rd anniversary of the enthronement of His Holiness Karekin II. It was on November 4, 1999, that His Holiness was consecrated as the 132nd Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians, in a …

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