Western Diocese

The Western Diocese and its Armenian Church Youth Organization (ACYO) eagerly anticipates its first major Junior Retreat to be held March 24-25, 2007, at the Coptic Village Retreat Center in the San Bernardino Mountains. With dozens of young ACYO members registered to participate from several parishes, this inaugural retreat will be a successful beginning for what is planned to become an annual event.  This event has been diligently planned by the Central Council of the ACYO, and the theme is “The Holy Week in the Life of Juniors.” At the request of His Eminence Abp. Hovnan Derderian three deacons will be participating in the weekend retreat, Deacons Kevork Halladjian, Matthew Ash, and Mkrtich Ksachikyan. Dn. Kevork will be teaching regarding the significance of Holy Week and the practices of the Armenian Church.

His Eminence has prepared a message for the youth on this occasion which is as follows:

            My Dear Junior ACYO members,

This weekend is a special time in your God-given lives. You are called to be in a religious retreat so that through fellowship and prayer, guided by the deacons of the Armenian Church, you may be able to renew your vocation as sons and daughters of the Armenian Church. This is also a special time for us all to give ourselves ample time for spiritual preparation through fasting and prayer to celebrate in our lives Holy Week and the victorious resurrection of Christ Our Lord. It is my wish that the Holy Week be lived by each and every one of you through you church attendance and reading of the bible which will enlighten your souls, minds and hearts with the sacrificial life of Christ our Lord. With this message I present to you a short reflection on Holy Week and the resurrection of Christ our Lord for you to read. Let this reflection be your companion during Holy Week.

The Resurrection of the Lord is the most inspiring and powerful event in the history of the world, one which continues to challenge us to live our God-given life spiritually transformed in all circumstances during all times.

 

“Put on Christ”. (Rom 13:14)

This is a message by St. Paul addressed to the Galatians, but equally to us all, enlightening in our spirituality the truth about Christ our Lord and the message conveyed to all mankind. However, this message needs to be embodied and applied not only in our personal lives, but mostly in our communities.

 

“Put on Christ”.

The Resurrection being the culmination of the course of events which has taken place during the Holy Week, has revolutionized the world, spiritually paving the road for us all to come closer to God and make Christ the armor of our spiritual life, and above all, to follow the patterns of sacrificial life of Our Lord and savior Jesus Christ. The discipline of living a life with Christ brings us all closer to God, and closer to humanity, in rendering our pastoral services to mankind as a reflection of our Christian faith and love.

I congratulate you for participating in this retreat. I also wholeheartedly thank the deacons for their participation and their care and love for the youth. Lastly, I convey my thanks to the Central Council members responsible for coordinating this retreat, who through their sacrifice of time and effort have given you all an opportunity to grow and pray together. Retreats are vital in the life of the Church as they bring us closer to God and closer to our fellow brothers and sisters.