Build the Altar of Light

Today, the Armenian Church remembers the vision of St. Gregory the Illuminator and celebrates the foundation of the Mother Cathedral of Holy Etchmiadzin.

More than seventeen centuries ago, in the heart of Armenia, St. Gregory saw a brilliant light descending from heaven, marking the very spot where the Mother Cathedral of Holy Etchmiadzin would be built. This was no ordinary light; it was the light of Christ Himself, illuminating the path for a nation and its people.

St. Gregory called out to the Armenian people with a message that resonates with us today: "Come, let us build the Altar of Light, for it is here that the Light has shone upon us." My friends, this was not just a call to build a physical structure; it was a call to build our lives around the light of Christ, to let His light shine in and through us.

In the Scripture, altars were built as a sign of gratitude, a physical manifestation of their thankfulness for God's blessings and interventions. When Noah and his family stepped out of the ark after the flood, the first thing Noah did was build an altar to the Lord. When Abraham received God's promise, he built an altar in response.

An altar is a place of sacrifice, a place of communion with God, a place where heaven touches earth. When we build our altars, we are creating sacred spaces in our hearts and lives where God's presence can dwell. We are inviting His light to penetrate the darkest corners of our existence, to bring hope where there is despair, joy where there is sorrow, and peace where there is turmoil.

We build this altar in our hearts through the small faithful things we do each day. Every prayer, every kind word, every act of forgiveness, and every sacrifice made with love becomes part of that altar. And when Christ lives in us, His light begins to shine through us, bringing hope, peace, and love to the people around us.

The world has enough darkness. It has enough anger, division, fear, and despair. But Christ gives us the light we need. He says, “I am the light of the world.” When we open our hearts to Him, His light fills us and begins to shine through us for others.