​Every church community has its share of parishioners who stand out for their years of dedicated service and Saint Gregory Armenian Apostolic Church of Merrimack Valley is no exception to this fact. These faithful parishioners have been, and continue to be, essential to our existence as a church community. Chake Boloian is the perfect example of such a parishioner whose unwavering dedication is an amazing story of faith and love for her church.
 
    Our church building was purchased on December 22, 1969. The founding members started everything from scratch, including its choir. During these initial years, the choir had a regular group of approximately eight singers and organists. Chake was one of those original choir members and since then has never looked back, even though it took her a while to feel comfortable.

     “I had no singing experience whatsoever and other than singing a little bit at my parochial school in Syria growing up, I never sang in front of people”, said Chake. She further explained, “I came to this country in 1957 and had to learn a lot of different things … I knew nothing about the Badarak but I learned over time by practicing at home and as a result I slowly became more comfortable with my voice and singing in church … I also learned to greatly appreciate the Badarak because it is such a beautiful and peaceful service that inspires and rejuvenates me.”

    That inspiration and rejuvenation is evident, given her length of service to the choir. In fact, it is remarkable that Chake is the only choir member from that original group over 50 years ago who still sings today.
 
        As most of you know, Chake and her husband Michael (known affectionately as “Red”) have three children, namely Carol Minasian, Sylvia Mahlebjian and John who was born the same year the church was purchased. Except for missing a few Sundays when John was a toddler or an occasional illness, Chake very rarely missed a Sunday in the choir. She was in her early thirties when John was born and she juggled raising her young family with her commitment to the church. Throughout all these years, she remained steadfast to not only her commitment to the choir but also to the Ladies’ Guild, Armenian Relief Society, and many other church related activities such as bazaars, Avak luncheons, and making Mas.
 
      Chake has served along with many different choir members throughout the years and has genuinely enjoyed each and every one of them. Nina Hovsepian is one of those members who began singing with Chake approximately 27 years ago and cherishes Chake’s mentorship, friendship, and inspiration.

      Here is what Nina had to say: “… for our St. Gregory community, Chake has been our committed melodious pillar connecting our choir to the Sharagans with her quiet confidence and harmonious leadership. She has an academic understanding of the Badarak. She signals when and what to sing, weaves her velvet voice measure to measure, and embraces both choir and congregation in her warmth and love. When I walk up into the church and see Chake in her choir shabeeg… there is a sigh of relief… all is in Divine order!”

      Another such member is Sossy Jeknavorian, our longtime Sunday School Director, who said the following: “When the choir was formed about 51 years ago, Chake joined the choir immediately and brought an incredible energy with her beautiful, sweet and perfect voice. She showed up every Sunday, sang the Sharagans and especially the beautiful solos. Singers have come and gone but Chake remains dedicated and sets an example for others… when I joined the choir, I was very nervous to sing the solos but Chake encouraged me and helped me to a point where she would nudge me and say “go” to start singing the solo… Chake has inspired me and many others. She is a remarkable person …”
           
       Chake’s dedicated service has not gone unnoticed. During the 46th Anniversary celebration of Saint Gregory Church in 2016, Chake was honored with the Distinguished Service Award from the Armenian Prelacy for her years of service with the choir. At that time, her son John recalled the following about his mother, “My sister remembers when she was little going to Saturday rehearsal with our mom and lying around the pews while she practiced… we had an organ in the house that my dad purchased for her, just so she could sing and practice. She has not stopped and my dad still wears the biggest smile of all when she sings. He would remind us all the time when we were in the sanctuary, ‘that’s your mother singing.’”
 
    Our parish priest, Rev. Fr. Stephan Baljian, was installed as our pastor just a few years prior to her being honored by the Armenian Prelacy. Der Hayr has a lot to say about Chake’s service but he clearly recalls his very first Badaraks at our church and remembered how impressed he was with our choir and specifically with our dedicated Choir Director, Knarik Nerkararyan, and Chake. “I remember thinking to myself that Knarik is so incredibly talented and professional and Chake is the headliner and matriarch!,” Der Hayr said.  
 
    Typically, Chake and Red were the first parishioners to arrive at church on a Sunday morning until COVID-19 prevented them from doing so. The pandemic, along with other age related ailments, took away one of the most important things in her life.
  
      “We missed so much going to church together on Sunday and I felt empty but it was so good coming on Easter and we are going to try and start coming again regularly… I pray others will start coming back too,” said Chake.  It is clear that although Chake may have slowed a little bit physically over the last few years, her mind and Christian faith are stronger than ever.
 
      Also, during these last few years, daughter Sylvia began singing in the choir. Sylvia and Knarik have been a dynamic duo during the pandemic and Chake’s passing of the baton to Sylvia makes her story even more amazing and special. Chake explained, “I never pushed Sylvia to sing… it’s totally what she wants to do…I never believed in being a pushy person about anything… but I did tell her that it’s a big commitment especially while working as much as she does with three boys at home.”
      
     Sylvia, who works as the Senior Director of Talent Development at Analog Devices, admits she sometimes gets emotional having her mother alongside her in the choir. Like her mother, Sylvia is completely self-taught and although she enjoyed teaching Sunday School for many years, she finds a different and special kind of spiritual fulfillment serving in the choir. When Chake was asked how she feels about her daughter taking such a prominent role in the choir, she paused for a moment and emotionally said, “let’s just say that I’m very very proud of her.”
 
     Chake acknowledges that life was different 50 years ago as there were fewer activities and things competing for peoples’ time and attention. “Church was not only the main focus of our lives, but it was also the main focus for many others like us. I realize it’s different today… things have changed a little over the years… we made lifelong friends from our church and our social life centered around the church,” said Chake.

      She prays that the younger generations can also find that same closeness and spiritual connection to the church as her generation experienced. Fortunately, for all of us, the only thing that has changed for Chake Boloian over the years is that now you can find her daughter singing by her side.
 
     (Chake’s story is written in loving memory of Tom Vartabedian, who was a dear friend, mentor, and teacher to many in our community.) 

  Քրիստոնեայ աշխարհը, առհասարակ, այսօր կը տօնախմբէ մեր Տիրոջ Յիսուս Քրիստոսի հրաշափառ Յարութիւնը՝ աստուածային գերազանց յաղթանակն ու անպարտելի զօրութիւնը երկնքի եւ երկրի բոլոր ոյժերուն վրայ անզուգական ձեւով, զոր կը կարդանք Սուրբ Գրքին մէջ. «Իմ ճամբաս տարբեր է մարդոց ճամբաներէն»  (Ես 55.8)։ Արդարեւ, Ուրբաթ օր Երուսաղէմ՝ խաղաղութեան քաղաքը, թոհուբոհի եւ անորոշութեան մէջ էր։ Խելագարած ամբոխը, դրդուած ղեկավարներէն, կը գոռար՝ «թող խաչուի, թող խաչուի» (Մտ 27.23), շփոթահար կուսակալը ի զուր կը փորձէր մահուան վճիռը փոխել, իսկ ծախուած, լքուած եւ ուրացուած Վարդապետին աշակերտները ամբողջական յուսահատութեան մէջ էին։ Շաբաթ առաւօտ հոգեւոր ղեկավարները, դեռ եւս չգոհանալով խաչելով ու թաղելով Նազովրեցի Վարդապետը, կը խնդրեն Պիղատոսէն որ կնքէ գերեզմանը, առարկելով որ գուցէ Աշակերտները, որոնք սարսափահար խոյս տուած էին Իրենց Վարդապետին ձերբակալման պահուն, կը համարձակին գալ եւ գողնալ մարմինը՝ պահակներու հսկողութեան տակ գտնուող գերեզմանէն։ Ասիկա արդէն ծայր աստիճան արտառոցութիւն էր, որուն Պիղատոս ընթացք կու տայ հաճելի թուալու համար անոնց։ Զգուշութեան մարդկային բոլոր միջոցները երբ կը սպառին՝ լռեցնելու համար Անլռելին եւ անհետացնելու հետքը Անկորնչելի Արդարին, ահա Կիրակի առաւօտ Թաղեալ Լոյսը, որ Իր կենդանութեան յայտարարած էր «Ե՛ս եմ Յարութիւնը», գործով կ՛ապացուցէ մեռելներէն յարութիւն առնելով։

  Յարութիւնը՝ Հաւատքի, Յոյսի եւ Սիրոյ յաւերժական արշալոյսը, գօտեպնդեց յուսահատած ու ցրուած Առաքեալները, որոնք իրենց հերթին լուսաւորեցին խաւարի ու անգիտութեան մէջ բնակողները։ Աշխարհին բացուելով, անոնք լիովին փոխակերպեցին ընկերութեան մտածողութիւնը՝ անդրանցնելու նիւթական եւ շօշափելի մօտեցումը մարդկային գոյութեան, եւ կեանքի գերագոյն նպատակը հասկնալու աստուածային պրիսմակէն դիտուած։  Արդարեւ, Յարութիւնը քօղազերծեց մահէն անդին յաւերժական կեանքի խորհուրդը, եւ երկրաւորներս պարուրեց անպատում այն ցնծութեամբ, թէ երկնաւոր Հօր Շնորհքով մահկանուցներս դարձեալ արժանացած ենք անմահութեան, եւ ուխտաւորներ ենք այս կեանքէն դէպի Կեանք։

   Այսօր, մեր հաւատքի վերանորոգումն է, որ կը տօնակատարենք Յիսուս Քրիստոսի սուրբ Յարութեամբ, որ ոչի՛նչ խնայեց մեր փրկութեան համար։ Տառացի կերպով Ան զգեցաւ մեր մեղանչական բնութիւնը եւ զայն մաքրեց իր սուրբ արիւնով։ Մեզի՛ համար «ան կրեց մահուան վարձքը» (Հռ 6.23) եւ «Իր մահով ոչնչացուց մահուան խայթոցները» (Ա Կր 15.55), միանգամընդմիշտ մեզի հայթայթելով տոկուն փաստը, թէ Ինք կենդանի է եւ միշտ մեր հետ է, ինչպէս խոստացաւ առաքեալներուն (Մտ 28.20): Աւելին՝ Ան միշտ կը խօսի մեր հետ եւ ամենայն համբերութեամբ կը սպասէ Խաչին վրայ արտայայտած իր սիրոյն դրական պատասխանին։

   Այս ուղղութեամբ, կ՛ուզեմ պատկեր մը գործածել գիտական աշխարհէն առնուած։ Արհեստագիտութեան հրաշալի գիւտերէն մէկը, այսպէս կոչուած GPSն է, որ կը խօսի եւ միշտ կ՚ուղղէ մեզ, որ հասնինք մեր նպատակադրած հասցէին։ Ամէն անգամ որ ձախողինք անոր հետեւելէ եւ կամ ճամբու վրայ անակնկալներ կամ փոփոխութիւններ պատահին, միշտ կ՚օգնէ մեզի, որ մեր ուղղութեան մէջ մնանք։ Այս երեք տառերը կը կազմեն սկզբնատառերը անգլերէնով G(lobal) P(ositioning) S(ystem)  «համաշխարհային դիրքորոշման համակարգ» բառերուն։ Պահելով հանդերձ սկզբնատառերը, երբ փոխենք զայն հետեւեալին՝ G(od) S(peaks) P(ersonally) «Աստուած անձնապէս կը խօսի» մեր հետ, կը տեսնենք որ իրապէ՛ս Աստուած ՄԻՇՏ կը Խօսի մեր հետ եւ երբե՛ք չի հրաժարիր երբ մեղանչենք եւ հեռանանք Իրմէ։ Այս ձեւով մենք հասու կ՚ըլլանք նաեւ Բանականութիւն-Գիտութիւն եւ Հոգի-Հաւատք ներդաշնակութեան։

    Արդարեւ, Աստուած բոլոր ժամանակներուն անձամբ խօսած է իր ստեղծագործութեան պսակ՝ մարդուն հետ։ Եդեմի պարտէզին մէջ՝ Նախածնողաց հետ, նահապետներու՝ Նոյի եւ Աբրահամի հետ, մարգարէներու՝ Մովսէսի, Սամուէլի, Դաւիթի հետ, եւ ի լրումն ժամանակի Աստուած անձամբ խօսեցաւ իր Միածնին՝ Յիսուսի Քրիստոսով եւ Առաքեալներու միջոցաւ համայն աշխարհին։

    Հայ ժողովուրդը եղաւ առաջիններէն յարուցեալ Կենդանի Աստուծոյ Խօսքը լսելու եւ զայն թարգմանելու հաւատքի, մշակոյթի, արուեստի, ի մի բան՝ կեանքի բոլոր ոլորտներէն ներս։ Որքա՜ն հիասքանչ դասաւորում ըրած  են մեր եկեղեցւոյ Հայրերը այս ուղղութեամբ, երբ ամէն անգամ որ Աւետարան կարդացուի, դպրաց դասը կ՛երգէ՝ «ասէ Աստուած» («Աստուած կ՛ըսէ, կը խօսի»), մեզի յիշեցնելով որ Աստուած ո՛չ միայն անցեալին, այլ նաեւ այսօր կը խօսի իւրաքանչիւրիս։

   Այո՛, Աստուած մշտատեւ կը խօսի կեանքի եւ յարութեան մասին առհասարակ ամբողջ ստեղծագործութեան, մեր խղճի ձայնին, Սուրբ Գրքի ընդմէջէն, բայց մանաւանդ Յիսուս Քրիստոսով, որ ամենայն  հեղինակութեամբ  յայտարարեց՝ «Ե՛ս եմ Յարութիւնը եւ Կեանքը» (Յհ 14.6): Ո՛չ մէկ կասկած որ բազմաթիւ ճամբաներ կան ընթանալու, կրօններու ուսուցումներ կան ճշմարտութեան մասին, եւ գիտական աշխարհի խոստումներ՝ բարգաւաճ կեանքի համար, սուրբ Յարութեամբ աւետուած հաւատքը այդ ամէնքը ներառնելով հանդերձ մեզի կը փոխանցէ նոր պատգամ մը։ Յարուցեալ մեր Տէրը Յիսուս Քրիստոսը Իր արիւնով փրկուածներուս հետ կը փափաքի միշտ հաղորդակցութեան մէջ ըլլալ, խօսիլ մեր հետ ու լսել մեզ, եւ նորոգել մեզ։  Ինչպէս արեւը երկրի եւ ովկիանոսներու մակերեսին ու ընդերքը գտնուող էակները կը կենսաւորէ ու կը նորոգէ իւրաքանչիւրին առանձնայատկութիւնը պահելով, նմանապէս Յարուցեալ Քրիստոս՝ ներթափանցելով իւրաքանչիւրիս կեանքին մէջ, կը փոխակերպէ մեր անհատականութիւնն ու նկարագիրը, եւ աւելի կատարեալ կը դարձնէ մեր աշխարհահայեացքը եւ յարաբերական կեանքը։

​    Մենք մեզ յանձնելով եւ վստահելով յարուցեալ Քրիստոս Աստուած-GPSին, Ան ո՛չ միայն մեզ անսայթաք կ՛առաջնորդէ սահմանէ սահման, ցամաքամասէ ցամաքամաս, կամ նոյնիսկ մոլորակէ մոլարակ, այլ ժամանակի ու տարածքի հասկացողութենէն անդին անհունութիւն ու յարերժութիւն, կեանքը առ յաւէտ ապրելու Արարիչ Աստուծոյ հետ։
Այս հասկացողութեամբ տօնենք Խաչեալ, Թաղեալ մեր Տիրոջ Յիսուս Քրիստոսի Յարութեան խորհուրդը։ Համաշխարհային համավարակի, բայց մանաւանդ ազգային մեծ աղէտի դժնդակ այս շրջանին դիմաւորենք մեր կեանքին մէջ նորոգեալ հաւատքով Յարուցեալ Տէրը, որ խոստացաւ մեզի «Կեանք եւ առաւել կեանք պիտի ունենանք» (Յհ 10-10): Յոյսի ու Կեանքի նոր երգ երգենք յարութեան շունշով տոգորուած, նոյնիսկ մահուան ձորին մէջէն եթէ քալենք, վստահ ըլլալով որ Տէրը մեր հետ է (տե՛ս Սղ 23.4), եւ գոհաբանենք Ամենասուրբ Երրորդութիւնը յաւիտեանս․ ամէն։

  Today, Christendom celebrates the Feast of the Resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ, the awesome victory of the Divine, invincible power over all heavenly and earthly powers, in a most unique and amazing way, as we read in the Scriptures, “My ways are different from your ways” (Isa 55:8). By Friday, Jerusalem, the city of peace, was in turmoil and confusion. Maddened crowds, instigated by their leaders, were yelling, “Crucify Him! Crucify Him!” (Mt 27:23). The perplexed governor in vain was pretending to have authority to overrule the verdict, and the followers of the betrayed Master were in total despair. By Saturday, the spiritual rulers, not content with the crucifixion, asked Pilate to seal the tomb, claiming that the fearful and hopeless Disciples, who fled away upon their Master’s arrest, might come and steal the body from the guarded tomb. This was the last of all ironies, which Pilate reluctantly accepted and imposed in order to please them. When all human means were exhausted to silence and annihilate the Righteous One, Lo! On Sunday, the Buried One who once taught “I am the Resurrection”, now proclaimed it in action by rising from the dead.

    The Resurrection, the eternal dawning of Faith, Hope and Love, girded the dispersed and despairing disciples, who in their turn, illuminated the minds of people everywhere dwelling in the darkness of ignorance. Going out into the world, the disciples transformed mindsets to transcend the visible and material approach to human existence and to understand life’s ultimate goal in the light of Divine perspective. Indeed, the Resurrection unveiled the mystery which lies beyond death, and filled the hearts of the human beings with joy that we, mortals, are rejuvenated in our immortality with our heavenly Father’s Grace, and are pilgrims from life to Life.

     And today, here we are to celebrate the renewal of our faith in the spirit of the Risen Lord, who spared nothing for our redemption. He literally took upon Himself our sinful nature and cleansed it with His sacred blood. For our sake He carried the wages of sin (Rom 6:23), and through His death, crushed the stings of death (cf. 1 Cor 15:55), providing us with tangible signs that He is alive and always with us, as He promised to His Disciples (Mt 228:20). Moreover, He speaks to us, and patiently waits for our positive reaction in response to His sacrificial love on the Cross.
In this context, I would like to draw a picture derived from the world of science. One of the marvelous inventions of technology is the GPS, which speaks and helps us to get to our destination, and always recalculates when we fail to follow its instruction. By changing the wording of this wonderful instrument G(lobal) P(ositioning) S(ystem) to G(od) S(peaks) P(ersonally) to us and never gives up when we sin and we distance ourselves from Him, we will discover the harmony between Intellect-Science, and Soul-Faith. Indeed, God always had personally spoken with mankind, the crown of His Creation. In the Garden of Eden, God personally spoke to our foreparents. God personally spoke to the Patriarchs Noah and Abraham. God personally spoke to the Prophets Moses, David, Isaiah, and through them with His people. And in the fulfillment of time, God personally spoke in the very person of Jesus Christ, and through the apostles to the world at large.

​    It is so amazing that in the Armenian Church we practice a very unique feature: the reading of the Gospels is always preceded by the choir’s brief solemn chant, “ Ասէ Աստուած – God speaks,” reminding us that not only in past but also today, God is speaking to each of us. Yes, my dear brothers and sisters, God always speaks with us through different means, by Mother Nature, our consciousness, the Scriptures and moreover through our Lord Jesus Christ, who solemnly announced, “I am the Way, the Truth and the Life” (Jn 14:6). Of course, there are many ways to think and to act; there are many religions teaching us about truth; and there are many sciences promising us prosperous life. Yet, as the shining sun, penetrating the very heart of the earth and oceans, gives life to each species and preserves their uniqueness, likewise the Risen Lord, penetrating each person’s life, transforms our personality, character, behavior, and makes us more perfect in our outlook, in our relationship with our spouses, children, peers, neighbors, colleagues, and with society at large.
By committing ourselves to our God-“GPS,” He does not merely lead us from border to border, from land to land, from planet to planet, but from time and space to eternity and infinity, to enjoy and celebrate life forever in Him. With this understanding, let us celebrate the Resurrection of the Crucified and Risen Lord. Let us welcome the Risen Lord and with renewed faith follow Him who promised “That you may have life, and a more abundant life” (Jn 10:10). Let us truly sing the song of Hope and Life “even though I walk in the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for You are with me” (Ps 23:4), and with thankful hearts, let us praise the life-giving All-Holy Trinity, Amen.

​*Usually on Easter Sunday, I make some kind of flip remark about how it is good to see everybody after a year. Also, I usually mention that I get a little nervous about preaching because it’s a bigger crowd, and because I am preaching to a lot of people that I haven’t seen in a while.
Well, this year really has really put that into perspective for me; at this time most of us fall into that category because of what happened during this last year with the pandemic. So today I am going to leave the remarks aside and rather just offer my gratitude for seeing you all and having us all here together on this glorious feast of our Lord’s Resurrection – Easter Sunday.

Քրիստոս յարեաւ ի մեռելոց: Օրհնեալ է յարութիւնն Քրիստոսի:
Christ is risen from among the dead. Blessed is the resurrection of Christ!

​Many of you have said these words and repeated them at Eastertide throughout the years. Perhaps you learned this traditional Easter greeting, “Christ is risen from the dead,” when you were children and went to church with your families on Easter Sunday.
      Sometimes we think they are kind words, a nice way to greet somebody on Easter or simply a nice way to keep an ancient tradition.
      But did you know that when we say the words “Christ is risen from the dead,” we are really quoting scripture? You are actually reciting a passage from the Bible, from one of Saint Paul’s letters – his first letter to the Corinthians, in Chapter 15, verse 20, where he says, “But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep.”
      During this section of his letter, he talks at length about a certain trend he saw within the Corinthian Church. Some people were professing not to believe in the future universal resurrection of mankind, the teaching of which our church adheres to adamantly. Body and soul will be resurrected on the last day, the day of final judgment, when Jesus Christ will come again to establish his heavenly kingdom here on earth.
      There were many at the time who had varying beliefs. Some would say that this resurrection was only metaphorical, or that Jesus spoke of only a spiritual resurrection, not a physical one. Some were even saying that the resurrection had already taken place, or that the resurrection was really just that all the righteous at the time of their death are being raised up to heaven.
     Saint Paul vehemently refutes these erroneous teachings. He writes, “If it is preached that Christ is risen from the dead” – which was, and still is, the mainstay of the Christian preaching of the Gospel; without Christ’s resurrection, that means he is dead and gone forever! – “how can some among you say that ‘there is no resurrection of the dead?’” (I Corinthians 15:12)
     That’s the whole point of why we gather here Sunday after Sunday and especially on this Easter Sunday… it’s because Christ is NOT dead! He has been raised to life from among the dead and he lives today. As you and I are alive today, Jesus Christ is alive and he is seated at the right hand of his Father.
      Paul continues in verse 13, “But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ has not been raised…” and still later on he says, “if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins. Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ” – meaning those who have gone before us – “have perished.” This would mean they are gone forever; there would be no hope of resurrection for anybody.
     His argument is two-fold and almost a sort of Catch 22:

1. If truly there is no resurrection of mankind, then Christ is not risen.
2. If Christ is not risen, then there is no hope of resurrection for anyone else, and our entire faith becomes pointless.

     But he concludes his argument by saying in verse 20, “But indeed Christ IS risen from the dead, the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep.”
It gives me chills sometimes when we read this passage, which happens (if you may have noticed) at the graveside funeral service.
     Every time we go to commit somebody to their final resting place, these are the words of comfort that we share with each other.
     As we are literally planting the person like a seed in the ground with the hope and expectation that on the last day that person is going to sprout up as a new creation, a new being – just like Christ did. As we begin to pour the blessed dirt upon our buried loved ones in the ground, we pray that “the blessing of God descend upon the grave of the deceased, so that it would blossom with new life on the last day.”
     Saint Paul describes this phenomenon later on in the same chapter. He says, “What is sown is perishable, what is raised is imperishable.” (I Corinthians 15: 42)
      And we saw that in Jesus. Over the past few days we’ve read the scriptures and sung the hymns and read the prayers about how Jesus broke his body, spilled his blood, died on the cross and was buried, in his human form physically withered and corruptible.
     But on the third day, today as we celebrate, he came out of the tomb victorious – incorruptible and triumphant over death.
     For this is what St. Paul means when he says, “Christ is indeed risen…” Not that only Jesus has arisen from among those who have died, but that he is the “first fruits of those that have fallen asleep.”
     (By the way, it would be a good place to mention here that when we say that “Christ is risen from the dead,” it doesn’t mean that he has risen from a state of being dead, or from the condition of death itself (even though both of those are true as well). What he means is that from among all those who have died – the “dead people” – Christ is now the one who has risen.)
     Picture again that image of the seed being planted into the ground and the plant sprouting up afterward. After patient waiting and expectation, the time comes for harvesting the fruit of those plants.
     Christ is the first fruit of that harvest. In the resurrection of all mankind, we all look forward to being harvested as fruit as well.
In just a few moments, after my message is completed and we finish some prayers consecrating the holy body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ for you, the faithful, to receive, you are going to see me turn around and hold up that chalice with the bread and the wine in it. And I’m going to say to you, “Eat of this, all of you, because this life and this is the hope of resurrection.”
     This means that when the celebrant presents to you Jesus, in his very flesh and blood, that we do not merely see him as the only one who is resurrected. We see in his resurrected body all of ourselves, as we live with the hope of that very same resurrection unto eternal life on the final day.
   Dearly beloved, the Armenian people throughout the ages, through our expression of faith through our Holy Mother Armenian Apostolic Church, have lived with this hope for centuries and centuries.
     May we carry on that Sacred Tradition as members of our beautiful, holy Mother Church, understanding that Christ’ resurrection is the sign of hope for the resurrection of us all.
     When we live and abide with him, always coming before him to see him as those first fruits, to see him as the promised resurrection for all mankind – and especially for us believers, to await with great hope our entrance into the Kingdom.
     Let us rejoice, not only today on Easter Sunday, but throughout the entire year. Let us be as those who joyfully hope in his resurrection, secure in the knowledge that our Lord Jesus has come to invite us all to eternal life in him.

Քրիստոս յարեաւ ի մեռելոց: Օրհնեալ է յարութիւնն Քրիստոսի:
Christ is risen from among the dead. Blessed is the resurrection of Christ!

Prayerfully,
Fr. Stephan Baljian
Holy Pascha 2021