In his Easter Sunday sermon at St. Vartan Cathedral, Bishop Daniel reflects on how the story of Christ’s passion strenghthens us in the face of the unexpected.
Bishop Daniel’s presentation of the Easter badarak was solemn and impassioned, and his sermon, delivered in both English and Armenian, had an air of determination and hope in the face of adversity.
“During the course of this Eucharist, I felt your presence, love, and connection to this very badarak today,” he said. “That is the power of faith—and this cathedral is filled with the love and hope of all of our people.”
In the sermon that followed, Bishop Daniel reflected on St. Mary’s utter sorrow as she knelt at the foot of the cross upon which Christ was crucified. He pointed out that Christ’s horrific torture and death were far from the glorious outcome that the prophets of old had hoped for.
Drawing a parallel with the challenging time the world is facing today, he said that “Mary must have thought, just as we ask today: ‘What is God doing? I did not expect this!’”
Despite that uncertainty, the mother of Jesus did not lose faith, but instead was drawn by her love of God to Christ’s empty tomb. “Let us walk with Mary to the tomb every moment of every day—for what comes out of that tomb is Life, and the Risen Lord,” Bishop Daniel said. “We must not allow anything to separate us from the love of God through Jesus Christ, our Lord.”
Watch a recording of the Primate’s entire sermon. Click on the following links to: