A thoughtful way to fulfill the compassionate spirit of the season.
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A Message from Our Primate
The faithful of the Armenian Church have always had a special affection for the Feast of the Holy Assumption of the Mother-of-God. The Blessing of Grapes ceremony, which occurs on Assumption Day, is one of the most eagerly anticipated services of the church calendar. And the meaning of the feast itself—our remembrance of the tenderness that the Risen Lord Jesus showed towards his mother Mary, when He brought her in body and spirit into Heaven—expresses deeply held feelings we all share.
The day is a celebration of the Christian qualities of charitable love and compassionate outreach. And it is a reminder that we, too, are called to serve the Lord and our fellow human beings in the same spirit.
For this reason, we chose Holy Assumption as the season to launch an important feature of our Diocese’s ongoing 125th Anniversary celebration, called “125 Acts of Kindness.”
125 Acts of Kindness is a way for our Diocese, our local parishes, and our individual faithful to serve our Lord Jesus Christ, express gratitude to Him, and “give back” to our communities and the surrounding society, through acts of charity, compassion, and kindness to others.
I am grateful to our 125th Anniversary committee for envisioning this part of the Diocesan celebration, and for creating a list of recommended activities that you can undertake in your local communities. Please note that our 125 Acts of Kindness are not limited to our immediate community, but can be directed outward to the larger society, and done in collaboration with non-Armenian faith communities.
As you undertake these acts, please make sure to share your experiences. Post photos and descriptions on your social media platforms. Submit them for publication in our weekly Diocesan e-Newsletter (e-mail to publicrelations@armeniandiocese.org). We will keep a running list of all the “Acts of Kindness” throughout our Diocese on our website’s 125th Anniversary page, www.armenianchurch.us/125.
Click below to download the list of 125 Acts of Kindness. Introduce the idea to your parishioners, select the items that inspire your community, and make plans to realize a number of “Acts of Kindness” over the coming months. Naturally, your activities can continue beyond the 125th Anniversary year—indeed, perhaps this will be the start of new, ongoing traditions in your community life.
Most of all, I pray that this will be an energizing, spiritually uplifting way for all our faithful to contribute to our celebration of the Diocese’s 125th Anniversary. May our Lord inspire your hearts and guide your hands in His service.
Prayerfully,
Fr. Mesrop Parsamyan
Primate