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
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c. 1995 Fr. Vazken Movsesian
Address comments to: dervaz@sain.org
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It was at 10:27 p.m. on a Friday a few weeks ago, when I experienced one 
the three great miracles of my life. That night, in a birthing room in Santa 
Clara our third son, Christaphor Masis, was born. Once again, I was 
reminded that there are no atheists in the delivery room. When we witness 
the miracle of birth, the tiny hands and detailed finger nails of a newborn, 
it is truly the most extraordinary of miracles.
Before that new life can enter the world, however, there is pain and 
suffering that the mother endures (and we'd like to believe we fathers 
share in it to some degree). But the agony of child birth is quickly 
forgotten with the celebration of new life. During the experience of child 
birth we encounter both feelings of pain as well as of happiness.
We, as Christians, participate in a similar experience when faced with the 
crucifixion and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. The sorrow of Good 
Friday is forgotten with the arrival of Easter. Within a few hours, Christ's 
cross is transformed from an instrument of destruction to a symbol of 
victory. With the resurrection, the cross is conquered and our pain 
disappears. 
On September 17, we celebrate the feast of the Holy Cross. It is an 
opportunity for us to change our focus in life from agony to joy. St. Paul 
tells us, "For the message about the cross is foolishness to those who are 
perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God." (ICor. 
1:18) As Christians the life saving message of the Holy Cross plays a 
unique role in our lives. The Cross is the symbol of the Christian Church 
encompassing the entire life of Christ and the entire Christian experience. 
It identifies an unparalleled event in History and for the believer it 
emphasizes God's constant love and care for us, His children. 
This month, the Summer ends and we return to the "normalcy" of life. For 
some, with the end of Summer comes a time for new beginnings -- a new 
class at school, a new start at work, perhaps even a new job. No matter 
where we are in our life patterns, we realize that certain obligations and 
responsibilities are inescapable. We are faced with new challenges daily. 
Ideally, we wish to meet those challenges head on, but we also can do so 
much. God gives us the supreme example of responsibilities are care. In 
the symbol of the Cross we can see the story of a Father who cared and 
loved His children so much, that He gave His Very Best. He did not 
exempt His Son from suffering, but made His Crucifixion a part of the 
liberation process. "He himself bore our sins in his body on the cross, so 
that, free from sins, we might live for righteousness; by his wounds you 
have been healed." (IPet 2:24) But the greater message is that He did not 
stop there. He conquered the Cross and all the evil associated with It 
through the Resurrection of our Lord Jesus. 
Every believer has this opportunity to meet the challenges of their own 
crosses head on. We have the opportunity of changing pain into joy.  
Crosses are always in our lives -- they always will be. As one cross is 
conquered another rises to challenge us again. With the power of God, 
through His Holy Community, the Church, we have the strength to help 
one another in meeting the challenges before us. 
On the feast of the Holy Cross we look up and see a Cross that is empty. 
We see an opportunity to change pain to joy, for new life to overcome our 
agony. We see the Cross radiating with the Power of God. That is our 
promise and a promise for all who believe.
	--Fr. Vazken