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. 1987 Fr. Vazken Movsesian Address comments to: dervaz@sain.org -------------------------------------- 1986 PASTOR'S MESSAGE During a one week period in May we remembered a group of events which echo a central theme. May 22: the Battle of Sardarabad -- Armenians held off the advance of the Turkish army in 1918; May 26: Memorial day -- honoring those who paid the ultimate price to defend the United States; May 26: Feast of St. Hripsime; May 27: Feast of St. Gayane -- two women directly involved in the open expression of Christianity in the early centuries; May 28: Armenian Independence Day -- The Armenians establish an independent republic in 1918 (to 1920). In our headlines today we read of political prisoners who are freed. In this newsletter (p.3) we rejoice with the news of Fr. Manuel Yergatian's release. Fr. Manuel was Deputy Director of the Armenian Patriarchate in Jerusalem. He was arrested in October 1980 in Istanbul Turkey on charges of "harming the national interests of Turkey." Officials charged him with possession of cassettes "for propaganda against the Republic of Turkey" and for carrying maps of historic Armenia. Fr. Yergatian was sentenced to a 14 year term in a Turkish prison. All of the events described above revolve around the themes of FREEDOM and INDEPENDENCE. These two words are the cornerstones of our constitution and way of life. Because the cost of freedom has been so high we should ask ourselves what is freedom? What are it's limits (if any)? We have freedom of speech, but of course we are not free to yell "Fire" in a crowded theatre. A communist can enjoy political freedom here just as a devil worshipper is free to follow his/her beliefs in America. Many times we come to take our freedom and independence for granted. When we read the historic accounts of how freedom and independence were achieved we unfortunately feel that autonomy is dependent upon another--a third party. For instance a country gains it's independence from another country. A slave is set free from his master. Even we as Armenians look to others to solve the Armenian Question. And so on, to the point where we lose sight of self-determination. We forget that we ourselves have the power to loosen the bonds that tie us. We ourselves create many personal prisons. There are prisons of the mind--when we harbor old ideas and fear to move ahead. The prison of materialism--when we place the material above the spiritual--when we lose sight of the fact that wealth is there to be used and not worshipped. The prison of the ego--when the self is the center of life--when the "I" is greater than the "we." The Bible tells us God created us in His own image. This does not mean we physically resemble Him. It means that we are created with free will to "create" to "move ahead." We control our destiny, our prisons, our independence. This is why we reject the notion of fortune telling. Imagine-- your future described by the way coffee grinds dry! (I know many Armenians still read the little coffee cups for fun -- I hope!?!) Along with self-determination comes responsibility. It is this responsibility we sometimes fear. It means we are accountable for our actions. It's so much easier to say "it was meant to beÉ", "It was written in the stars." But this is part of maturity. We don't need scapegoats. We must take control and responsibility for our own lives and destiny. Great or small, all freedom begins with the self. We must first seek the freedom God intends us to enjoy. As a community we have an opportunity to exercise our freedom through our Church. Our Church, for all intent and purposes is, and with the new building will be a Free and Independent Armenia. It will belong to the Armenian people. It will serve as a monument to the Armenian will and belief in self-determination. I pray that we will all follow the examples left by our forefathers and continue to forge ahead for God's Holy Church and this mission to the Armenian people. --Fr. Vazken -------------------------------------- c. 1987 Fr. Vazken Movsesian Address comments to: dervaz@sain.org --------------------------------------