A Pastoral Message from Bishop Daniel
What no eye has seen, what no ear has heard, what no human mind has conceived, what God has prepared for those who love him—these are the things God has revealed to us through the Holy Spirit. (1 Cor 2:9-10)
Every year, Armenian Christians are blessed to enjoy a long and joyous Christmas season. It is a feature of our spiritual life that sets us uniquely apart from others. But once that warm-hearted season ends, we are left, like everyone else, to contemplate the cold, dark days of winter. Even in “normal” times, this can be a period of low spirits. But after two years of the Covid pandemic—and the additional burdens our people have suffered during this time—we are feeling spiritually exhausted.
We are tired, depressed, lonely. I myself became sick during the holidays, and spent the period under quarantine. I know others had the same experience. And we all feel separated from loved ones—separated from life—while carrying heavy burdens of anxiety and grief.
But dear friends, if you are feeling spiritually exhausted in these dark days of winter—or at any time before or after—please know that you are not alone. Countless faithful people are having the same experience. More importantly, be assured that our Savior Jesus Christ has been where you are, too; and he overcame the worst of the world, for your sake.
What he gave us, out of the deepest love ever conceived in the universe, was the promise of Hope. He took all of mankind’s ills upon himself: our sins and transgressions, to be sure; but also our loneliness, our afflictions, our infirmities, our spiritual desolation. And through his suffering, death, and resurrection, he conquered them—and gave us hope to do the same, through him. He stands beside you now, ready to share his strength, consolation, and hope. You have only to pray, and ask, and these gifts will be given by our Lord, with love.
Of course, in the depths of our spiritual darkness, it is not always easy to see that Hope is so close to us. In a beautiful passage that seems to speak directly to our time, St. Paul addressed this very concern, reassuring his followers that the Lord’s presence is real, even though hidden from our eyes:
“We speak a message of wisdom” he wrote, “though it is not the wisdom of this age, or of the rulers of this age, who are coming to nothing. No, we declare God’s wisdom: a mystery that has been hidden, and that God destined for our glory before time began…. As it is written: ‘What no eye has seen, what no ear has heard, what no human mind has conceived, what God has prepared for those who love him’—these are the things God has revealed to us through the Holy Spirit” (1 Cor 2:6-10).
We today must take these words to heart. Certainly, the world around us offers very little expectation for hope. But Hope is here, nonetheless—in a way the world cannot see, and refuses to acknowledge. It is perhaps natural that in the present crisis, even we who love Christ can lose sight of his presence by our side. But through prayer, we must ask him to focus our inner vision on the blessings that “no eye has seen.” And we must also pray on behalf of the people around us—reaching out to them personally, to draw them out of their own dark isolation, and into the light of Christian Hope. We must reassert the sense of community that has been one of the worst casualties of the present age—but that has always been one of the glories of the Armenian Christian heritage.
May our merciful Lord hear our prayers, relieve our weariness with his strength, and lift our hearts with the Hope that he alone purchased for us—and he alone can bestow.
With my prayers,
Bishop DANIEL
Primate
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