Message of Fr. Vazken Movsesian, parish priest of St. Andrew Armenian Church, Cupertino, from the Nakhagoch Newsletter. Electronic version archived on: SAIN-- St. Andrew Information Network -------------------------------------- c. 1990 Fr. Vazken Movsesian Address comments to: dervaz@sain.org -------------------------------------- Message to Graduates Our Bay Area has a unique group in the Armenian Professional Society. Once a year they organize a Career Fair, giving college-bound Armenian students an opportunity to receive first hand advice about their futures. A couple of years ago we suggested to organizers of the event that Armenian youth might also want to know about careers in the Church. After all, what would make more sense than this: We know there is a tremendous clergy shortage in our church; From where else will our future leaders come, if not from within our own; The Armenian people proudly exclaim about their Holy "Mother" Church, certainly we wouldn't let our mother die without assisting her, etc, etc, etcÉ And so, they agreed to allocate a portion of the large hall to careers in the Church. The day of the fair arrived. In the hall were a good representation of various professions--medical, engineering, law, etc.-- and there we were, the pastors of the Bay Area Armenian churches. There were about 40 students in attendance. A young lady lead the orientation. She counselled the students and began listing the different options available to them. The church wasn't mention, but what else is new? After all, we're talking about real professions! We're talking about making some real bucks! Following the short introduction of vocations, the students were free to wonder about the hall and get ideas from the different professionals. They strolled around the hall, picked up brochures, talked with specialists. Can you guess which booth they passed by? That's right, the Armenian Church's! Every so often, someone would come by with a slight chuckle that seemed to say, "Come on, you're not serious are you?" Service to the Church can take many forms. Not everyone is called to be a priest. Granted, there are other avenues of attending the needs of people. Yet this should not deter us from seeing the priesthood as a viable career option. The priesthood is unlike any other vocation imaginable and therefore, it is extremely misunderstood. Some believe the priesthood to be a last ditch effort--when all else fails, become a priest. I remember a bit after my ordination someone asked me "Couldn't you find any thing else to do?" --as if I had gone to the unemployment office and saw a notice for an opening at the Santa Clara Church and I accepted. First and foremost the priest is a witness to the Gospel of Christ. Through his witness he ministers to the needs of the people. Some see the priesthood as denial of life. A few years ago, at our Church picnic I dared to join in the circle line for folk dancing. Someone commented, "Are priests allowed to dance?" Why not? If a priest is witnessing to the Gospel Message of LIFE, then who but the priest is entitled to enjoy that life? This is graduation month. It's a time of transition for many of our young adults. In the next few years they will be making decisions that will effect the rest of their lives. How much more meaningful would those decisions be if they affect the lives of others as well? Most all professions, large or small interact with other humans beings and effect the quality of life. But all too often, our youth are motivated by childish whims. The glitter and glow that society has placed on prosperity distorts our perception. Money and material success become the primary reason for career selection and helping your fellow man is a by-product rather than the intent of your labor. As parents we are certainly concerned with the physical welfare of our children but at the same time we must instill the values that are so precious for a boy to become a man, for a girl to become a woman and for all to become human. A young girl is about to have her first sexual encounter, a young man is tempted by drugs, a man has lost his self worth, a woman is dying of cancer and you are there to listen, talk, reach out, cry, laugh, hug and give. There are many ways to make money, but there is a certain satisfaction that has to come with work that cannot be measured with dollar signs. The priesthood is only one way of serving Christ's Holy Church and your fellow man. It is a real way. Today the Armenian Church is searching for "laborers" to toil in God's vineyards. As society becomes more complex, so too do the problems of the people. Today it takes better than eight years of post-high school instruction to become an ordained priest. A candidate who has received the calling must acquire a Masters degree and possibly study oversees. The St. Nersess Armenian Seminary in New York is set up to handle the needs of students in the United States. I would be happy to discuss the program and the options with any of our youth that would dare to go against the norm. With that, I congratulate our graduates. No matter what you do, do it for noble purposes. Our Graduate's lives are not the only things in transition, as the Bay Area witnessed first hand this past weekend. When a Mercury News reporter called and asked, if given the chance where would I take President Gorbachev and what would I say to him, the church building naturally came to mind. It says it all. The structure is a symbol of our past, our present and our future. It says, Armenians are living, building and moving forward. What would I say to him? The answer is not hidden in symbols. It is very clear. Human rights violations in Armenia must come to an end. The issue of Nagorno-Karabagh must be resolved. Enough bloodshed. On June 4, our Armenian community was given an opportunity to make a statement at the visit of Mikhail Gorbachev to the Bay Area. Demonstrations took place in San Francisco and at the Stanford campus. Over 4000 protesters were present at the main demonstration in San Francisco and a couple hundred of us attended the Stanford rally. We arrived early at Stanford along with the Lithuanians, Estonias, Ethiopians and others. We waited a few hours for a brief glance at this history-making world leader. Holding Armenian flags, pickets and posters, our group chanted "Karabagh" as the impressive motorcade wisked by. What was the point? Did we really think he would stop and listen to our request? Even if he did, what did we expect him to do about it? The demonstrations were not in vain. The Armenian National Committee was able to pass on a letter (see inset), and of course Governor Deukmejian brought these issues to the attention of the President as well. Most importantly, the world saw that Armenians here in the States are more than concerned about their brothers and sisters in the homeland. For us attending (or even watching) we had a rare opportunity to be a witness to history in the making. The changes taking place in the Soviet Union were unthinkable just a few years ago and Gorbachev's reforms are revolutionary in every sense of the word. Demonstrating at this type of event prompts many mixed emotions. After all, Gorbachev is viewed by the American public as a positive reformer. He is a hero of sort. I cannot blame one for not attending, though I believe it was important. Nikita Khrushchev once predicted the East would bury the West. It almost seems the role of undertaker has changed. As we watch the East turning West, and communism reaching out to capitalism, no doubt the unwanted "baggage" of capitalism will be picked up as well. Time will tell, meanwhile we hope for a speedy resolution to the Armenian situation. --Fr. Vazken -------------------------------------- c. 1990 Fr. Vazken Movsesian Address comments to: dervaz@sain.org --------------------------------------