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. 1996 Fr. Vazken Movsesian
Address comments to: dervaz@sain.org
--------------------------------------

There is no Resurrection, without a Crucifixion

	While Easter is the celebration of the Resurrection, there
is another event which is sometimes conveniently ignored.
True, the Resurrection is the most powerful event of the
Christian Church; however, how many of us can comprehend the
event and its ramifications? But what of the event which
proceeded Our Lord's Resurrection? Discuss the Crucifixion
and now we understand something. After all, we all Ñ not
just country singers Ñ have felt betrayal, abandonment,
loss, and injustice. These expressions are all part and
parcel of the human experience. During the course of life,
we've been let down by friends, we've lost love, we've
struggled alone, and have felt the injustice of the world.
No person is exempt from such tribulation. In viewing the
Easter story, we relate much easier to the crucifixion than
to the resurrection, because we've been there. 

	In fact, the Resurrection only makes sense in the context
of the suffering that our Lord endured. The message of
resurrection Ñ the victory over death  Ñ can only be
appreciated when viewed in the context of crucifixion. The
Easter story is the testament of a Person who comes to the
world to share love and offer the opportunity for everyone
to find God's peace within their lives. He is greeted with
anger, resentment and jealousy. Jesus' journey to the Cross
is the path of suffering and enduring - with the faith that
life does not end at the foot of the Cross. The message of
hope sprouts as we witness the triumph of resurrection over
the sufferings of this world.

	As is the case in our Lord's life, so too in ours, to
understand the full impact of our personal triumphs we must
first grasp and understand our sufferings. In other words,
there is no resurrection without a crucifixion. Obviously no
one likes pain and we are quick to avoid it. Our natural
defense mechanisms kick into gear and tell us to steer clear
of such experiences. But those who do experience triumph
over their problems are the ones who have tackled their
crosses head on. They appreciate their triumphs because they
have conquered their sufferings. Like it or not, it is only
by rising to the cross that you have a chance to overcome
it. 

	Our crosses take many forms. They may be within the family,
within a marriage, at work, or in the community. They stand
there as challenges to us and demand a reaction from us. We
can close our eyes to our crosses, but they will not
diminish the size nor the intensity of the cross. Its only
by climbing our cross head on that we may ever hope to
conquer it.

	During Holy Week, we trace the Passion of our Lord Jesus
Christ. I invite all our faithful to join in the
celebrations during Holy Week. On Holy Thursday, we remember
the Last Supper and the washing of the feet by Christ. Join
in the worship and experience this unique time on our
Christian calendar. Be inspired by the story of our Lord
Jesus and find the crosses in your own lives. Meet them head
on and share in the triumph that God wants us to experience.
See that there is hope, there is victory, there is
resurrection in all our lives.

	May God bless you and your families at this most special
and Holy Season.
	
Fr. Vazken
7 April 1996