Feast of the Assumption of the Holy Mother of God Celebrated in Prelacy Churches

On Sunday, August 16, 2020, the feast of the Assumption of the Holy Mother of God was celebrated in Prelacy Churches with Divine Liturgy and the traditional blessing of grapes.

Given that the feast marks the name day of St. Mary’s Church of Glendale, H.E. Archbishop Moushegh Mardirossian, Prelate, celebrated Divine Liturgy, delivered the sermon, and conducted the blessing of grapes at St. Mary’s Church.

The Prelate began his sermon with the following words of the hymn dedicated to the Holy Mother of God; “O mother of God, mother of light, temple and dwelling of God’s Word, reconcile us with the Father and intercede for your Son to accept our prayers, we implore you.” His Eminence greeted the faithful who were following online, inviting them to pray for the intercession of the Holy Mother of God so that as beings creates in the image of God we may live our lives with the love in which we were created and reconciled with God.

The Prelate noted that the Virgin Mary is revered within the Christian Church for her virtuous life and, for centuries, has been a source of inspiration within the Armenian Church as the exemplar of motherhood. She was worthy of being chosen to be the mother of God and a part of Christ’s salvific mission for her virtues, her modesty, humility, compliance to God’s will. She endured the pain of witnessing the crucifixion of her Son with patience and strength, for she trusted in the promise of the Lord. And when it came time for her own death, the Lord lifted her to heaven in body and soul, giving hope to the world that death is not an end, that this life and this world is not the end, rather the start of a new life as long as we devote ourselves to the Lord and entrust ourselves to His will as His humble servants like the Virgin Mary, stated the Prelate.

“Today, more than ever, the feast of the Assumption reminds us to give praise to the Lord at all times and humbly submit to His will. It reminds us that trusting in God’s greatness and providence will guide and brighten our life’s journey. It reminds us to always say “yes” to the Lord and let His Word and His will direct our lives, no matter the circumstances. The feast of Assumption is also a celebration of hope. The Virgin Mary’s virtuous life made her worthy of being carried to the heavenly kingdom by her Son, reminding us that the glory of God is bright and it brightens, it is light and it illuminates, it is hope and it leads with hope. As children of God, we too must live accordingly, for the eternal and heavenly hope,” said the Prelate.

His Eminence concluded his sermon by once again inviting the faithful to seek the intercession of the Holy Mother of God for an end to crises in the world, for the defeat of evil and the triumph of goodness, for her maternal protection during these uncertain times when lies are accepted as truths, when a pandemic is raging around the world, when border clashes continue in Armenia and Artsakh, when our community in Lebanon is in crisis and needs our immediate support, and for peace, goodness, bright days, and for us to be worthy of eternal life.

At the conclusion of Divine Liturgy, the Prelate proceeded to the courtyard in a procession where he conducted the blessing of grapes. The service concluded with the singing of Cilicia and the Prelate’s prayer for peace and health for all.

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