On Saturday, January 6th, 2024, the Armenian Church observed the Feast of Nativity and Theophany of Our Lord Jesus Christ. At St. Gregory the Illuminator Cathedral in Antelias of the Holy See of Cilicia, His Holiness Catholicos Aram conducted the Divine Liturgy and delivered the pontifical sermon. Archbishops Nareg Alemezian and Shahan Sarkissian served at the altar alongside him, while the ‘Naregatsi’ children’s choir, led by V. Rev. Fr. Zaven Nadjarian, sang during the Liturgy.
During the ceremony, the blessing of the water ceremony, symbolizing the baptism of Christ, was conducted. According to tradition, at the end of the service, the faithful take a cup of the blessed water to their homes.
For his sermon, His Holiness chose the fifth verse of the 21st chapter from the Book of Revelation: ‘I am making everything new!’ to summarize the essence of the feast’s message. He declared that God came to the world to recreate the universe and humanity, which had departed from their Creator, and to restore the image of God in humans while endowing the universe with heavenly blessings. His Holiness emphasized that the birth of God in Bethlehem signified the rebirth of a new universe and a new man, as defined in the Book of Revelation by John the Apostle. Furthermore, he stressed that Christ is not merely a past but is always present and future. With the birth of Christ, we celebrate the rebirth into a new man and a new world, always with our eyes of faith directed towards the second coming of Christ. In conveying this message, His Holiness also shed light on the challenges facing Armenia, Lebanon, and Gaza.
Following the Liturgy, the procession moved to the atrium of the Catholicosate, where His Holiness Aram I received the faithful and officials for Christmas congratulations.
