Called to the Light

Khor Virap Monastery, Armenia

There are moments in our lives when God reveals Himself in ways that forever shape our journey. For me, one such moment took place on a scorching summer day when I was just thirteen. Our judo coach gathered us for a hike, a nearly 25-mile hike from Yerevan to Khor Virap Monastery. We left early in the morning, and by the time we arrived, night had already fallen. We lay down to rest within the ancient walls of this sacred place.

At dawn, as the first light touched the peak of Mount Ararat, the monastery bells began to ring. Something deep inside me stirred. It felt like heaven was calling. I stepped into the Church and witnessed the Holy Badarak for the very first time. You have to understand, I grew up in Soviet Armenia, where talking about God was discouraged, and churches were often closed.

But in that moment, as I stood there in the presence of God, I felt something I had never felt before. The beauty of the hymns, the majesty of the altar, the fragrance of incense rising like prayers to heaven—it took my breath away. And then, for the first time, I received the Holy Communion, the body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ.

I can’t explain it in words, but something changed in me. My soul had encountered the presence of the living God, and even though I didn’t have the words for it at the time, my heart was already praying: "One thing I ask from the Lord, this only do I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze on the beauty of the Lord and to seek Him in His temple." (Psalm 27:4)

Now, nearly 30 years later, I stand here not just as a believer but as a servant, as a bishop in the Armenian Church. And I can tell you this: The love of God is not distant. His presence is not confined to the past. His light still shines. His grace is still calling. When you seek Him, you will find Him. And when you find Him, your life will never be the same.