Carried by the Cross
- Bishop Mesrop Parsamyan
- 4 hours ago
- 2 min read
Yesterday I had the immense honor and blessing of celebrating Badarak at the Armenian Monastery of the Holy Cross on Akhtamar Island, surrounded by the blue waters of Lake Van. There, faith, history, and place came together in a way words cannot fully express.
For more than 1,100 years, countless Badaraks have been celebrated within those sacred walls. Generations of priests have stood before that altar, and generations of faithful have offered their prayers there. We offered the same Badarak, sang the same hymns, and received the same Christ who sustained our ancestors through every joy, sorrow, and trial.
The day carried even deeper meaning because we celebrated the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross in a monastery bearing its name. On this feast, the Church lifts the Cross high for all to see, because true love must be made visible.
Scripture tells us, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son” (John 3:16). On the Cross, God did more than tell us that He loves us. He showed us. Christ stretched out His arms and gave Himself completely—for you, for me, and for the whole world.
For Armenians, that love is written everywhere. It is carved into our khachkars, built into our churches, raised above our domes, placed upon our altars, and worn around our necks. The priest traces it over our heads in blessing. We even place it in the names of our children—Khachik and Khachadoor.
We call ourselves a khachakir people, a people who bear the Cross. Yet standing at Akhtamar today, I understood something deeper: through the centuries, the Cross has also carried us. When our ancestors had no words left, they carved a cross into stone. It became their prayer and their declaration that suffering would never have the final word.
Each pilgrim came to Akhtamar carrying something unseen: a memory, a burden, a sorrow, or a prayer for someone they love. We placed it all before Christ. Looking upon Him on the Cross, we saw love with arms stretched wide, saying, “Bring it to Me. You do not have to carry it alone.”
May we return home bearing the Cross in our hearts. And when its weight feels too heavy, may we remember this: the Cross we carry is already carrying us.
Comments