On Sunday, July 19, 2020, the Armenian Apostolic Church celebrated the feast of the Transfiguration of our Lord Jesus Christ. On this occasion, H.E. Archbishop Moushegh Mardirossian, Prelate, celebrated Divine Liturgy and delivered his message at Holy Martyrs Church in Encino. Given recent state orders, Divine Liturgy was conducted behind closed doors and without the participation of faithful.
The Prelate began his message by giving an overview of the Transfiguration episode as described in the Gospel of Matthew, which occurred in the presence of the apostles Peter, James, and John, who themselves were transformed as they heard the voice of God state, “This is my beloved Son, in Whom I am well pleased. Hear Him!” and Jesus reassuring them to not be afraid.
His Eminence focused his message on the meaning and message of the feast of Transfiguration, which is spiritual, moral, and physical sanctity and purification. He noted that the feast is of particular significance to him for he celebrated his first Divine Liturgy upon his ordination to the priesthood on that same day 44 years prior at St. Gregory the Illuminator Mother Cathedral in Antelias and his first Divine Liturgy as a Bishop on that day 23 years prior at Holy Martyrs Church. He added that during both of those services he beseeched the Lord for spiritual transfiguration and illumination and today again beseeches the Lord for the same. He prayed also for the homes of our faithful to be illuminated with God’s presence and glory, if only we confess Jesus as our Savior, “Hear Him,” and “not be afraid.”
“In this trying times especially, we need to look to Him to find our light again, to reconnect with our faith and adhere to our traditions. We need to hear Him and listen to Him so that He can be revealed within us. We need to carry our cross and follow Him, to lose our lives in order to find the true life and become new creations by doing that which is pleasing to Him and serving for His glory. God appeared to the apostles, He appears today and He will continue to appear. Today, let us make a collective plea for Him to reveal Himself within our individual, family, and community life, to guide our path especially during these hard times of the pandemic, to reveal Himself in Armenia and to our soldiers in particular defending our lands, so that they may hear Him and not be afraid. Let us open our eyes and see Him in his luminous glory, and let us not be afraid for He will protect us as long as we follow Him,” stressed the Prelate. His Eminence concluded by calling on all to join in prayer during “Der Voghormya” for the souls of our martyred soldiers as a result of recent Azeri attacks against Armenia, healing to the wounded, and the peace and safety of our brethren and our homeland.
