On Tuesday 6 January 2009, Armenians all over the world celebrated Christmas, the Holy Feast of the Incarnation and Epiphany. His Holiness Aram I celebrated the Holy Liturgy at St. Gregory the Illuminator Cathedral in Antelias in the presence of Lebanese Government officials, community leaders and a large number of believers.
In his sermon His Holiness invited the believers to respond to the message of renewal and love transmitted through the Birth of Jesus. He said that the commandment of love as the new law was given to us with the Incarnation. He then asked: “How do we live and express the love that came to us from Heaven through the birth of Jesus in Bethlehem? How close do we feel we are to God? The only way to discover whether God is in us is to love one another. As the Apostle said, whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love (1 John 4:7-11). Do we consider ourselves children of God? We should because through Nativity God showed his love to all of humanity.”
He then linked the message of the new commandment of love to the situation in Lebanon and the Middle East. He hoped that the national reconciliation process based on a dialogue of love would lead to radical solutions of the political problems in the country. He also appealed to the political leaders to serve the people with love and deep commitment and alleviate their social and economic difficulties. Finally, he called upon the international community to stop the bloodshed in Gaza , care for the innocent victims and find a permanent solution to the Palestinian question.
After the Liturgy and on the following day, His Holiness Aram I received Lebanese Government Officials, representatives of Diplomatic Corps and Leaders of the Armenian Community in Lebanon, who came to convey their good wishes on the occasion of Armenian Christmas.
No comments:
Post a Comment