At the end of each academic year, Armenian Mesrobian School seniors attend Divine Liturgy at Holy Cross Cathedral in Montebello to receive Holy Communion and the blessings of H.E. Archbishop Moushegh Mardirossian, Prelate, ahead of their graduation. This year’s service was held on Sunday, June 3, 2018. Divine Liturgy was celebrated by Rev. Fr. Ashod Kambourian. Mesrobian School elementary students participated in the singing of the Liturgy, led by Holy Cross Cathedral Dean Very Rev. Fr. Muron Aznikian, the choir master, and their teacher. Mesrobian School Principal Mr. David Ghoogasian, who served on the altar, teachers, and parents were among the faithful in attendance.
The Prelate greeted the Holy Cross Cathedral and Mesrobian School family on what has become a beloved tradition within the community, and conveyed his congratulations and well wishes to the graduates as they prepare to embark on the next chapter of their lives. As the day marked the Feast of Holy Etchmiadzin, and the day prior the Feast of St. Gregory the Illuminator’s deliverance from the pit, His Eminence spoke on the establishment of the Cathedral of Holy Etchmiadzin by the luminous vision of St. Gregory the Illuminator in which the Lord descended from heaven and with the strike of a golden hammer designated the site where the Mother Cathedral of the Armenian nation was to be built. Tying in the message of the day’s Gospel reading from John 10:22-30, the Prelate stated that St. Gregory the Illuminator exhibited absolute faith and trust in God, he heard and listened to the voice of our Lord, submitted to His will and authority, and by the grace of God transformed our nation into the first Christian nation. “St. Gregory the Illuminator became the shepherd which led our nation to the one true shepherd, our Lord Jesus Christ. Subsequent generations also heard and followed the voice of our Lord, and kept our faith and national identity unshaken throughout the centuries,” he said. The Prelate stressed that Jesus alone is our true and good shepherd, and that we, as His sheep, must tune out all other distracting and conflicting voices and listen to His voice alone. “In the example of St. Gregory the Illuminator and all of our saints and forefathers, let us hear and heed His voice with utmost conviction, for His is the voice of love, hope, compassion, justice, salvation, and triumph,” he said.
Next, His Eminence delivered his message to the graduating students. Referencing the parable which tells of the man who built his house on the strong foundation of a rock which nothing could make fall, he urged them to build their lives on the sturdy and unshakeable foundation of our faith and national identity which have been embedded in them through the education and instruction they have received from Mesrobian School, from Holy Cross Cathedral, and from their parents. “You have the necessary tools for success; build upon the foundation that has been set for you and push yourselves to be the best that you can be. Never cease praying and dreaming, don’t be afraid of failure, keep pushing and trying with faith and hope. Most importantly, choose the right path, not the easy path, and in all that you do, bring honor to God and pride to your church, families, and community,” concluded the Prelate.
