Armenian Apostolic Holy Church Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin

On May 14, the Armenian Apostolic Holy Church celebrated the Feast of the Ascension of Our Lord Jesus Christ.

Under the presidency of His Holiness Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians, the Holy and Immortal Divine Liturgy was celebrated at the Cathedral of the Descent of the Only-Begotten. The Liturgy was officiated by His Grace Bishop Mushegh Babayan, Director of the Administrative and Economic Department of the Mother See.

The sacred service was attended by diocesan primates from Armenia and the Diaspora, members of the monastic clergy of the Mother See, and numerous Armenian pilgrims.

In his sermon, Bishop Mushegh noted, reflecting on the spiritual meaning of the feast, that the Ascension of Christ is a reality attested by eyewitnesses, in which heaven and earth are united in a single vision, and the faithful once again experience the eternal presence of God in their lives.

“In the living narrative of the Evangelists, we see how Christ bodily departs from the earth, ascends into heaven, and disappears into the clouds. And from a human perspective, it may seem that we are left alone—facing our cares, our pain, and our everyday difficulties.

But… the true message of the Ascension is entirely different. The Ascension is not about separation; it is the glorification of human nature. Christ did not ascend to abandon us, but to be everywhere and with all of us,” said Bishop Mushégh, adding that the Ascension of Jesus Christ is one of the most important pillars of the Christian faith, through which the full mystery of human salvation is revealed.

Speaking about the inner human desire to seek God during trials and challenges, the Prelate emphasized: “We often seek God in distant places, whereas He is present in the smallest, seemingly unnoticed moments of our daily life.

…God reveals His love for humanity through humanity. Therefore, let us not seek God only in miracles. Let us seek Him in patience, forgiveness, and love. And we will see that our Lord has never abandoned us: He is here among us, to the end of time. To find God, there is no need to flee reality; rather, God must be sought within reality itself.”

The preaching bishop also referred to the historical transfer of the Catholicosate of All Armenians from the city of Sis to the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin, affirming that Holy Etchmiadzin is a vision of the meeting between God and man, through which and in which the Armenian people, guided by the Descent of the Only-Begotten, find the path to the salvation of their souls.

“With the return of the Catholicosate See, Holy Etchmiadzin transformed the memory of homeland and statehood into a living and creative purpose, from which arose the consciousness of collective responsibility, national unity, and various initiatives of the liberation struggle.

…Holy Etchmiadzin became the axis around which the worldwide Armenian diaspora was united. Thanks to a unified national, spiritual, and cultural center, the Armenian people preserved their national identity and character, and as long as statehood was absent, the Mother See assumed the functions of the state without any claim to replace it,” said Bishop Mushegh, emphasizing that Holy Etchmiadzin is the centuries-long beating heart of the Armenian people, in which are concentrated Armenian prayer, faith, history, the hope of the Resurrection, and the dignity of standing before God. To wound this heart is to wound the faith, memory, and unity of the people.

In conclusion, the Prelate urged those present to lift their gaze toward heaven not to measure distance, but to live in hope, for Christ is with us—in our Church, in our prayers, on the cross-bearing path of our people, and in the unceasing ringing of the bells of Holy Etchmiadzin.

At the conclusion of the Holy Liturgy, under the presidency of the Catholicos of All Armenians, a Patriarchal Blessing was offered before the Holy Altar of the Descent in the Mother Cathedral. During the service, the clergy and the faithful offered prayers to God for the steadfastness, radiance, and flourishing of the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin and the Catholicosate of All Armenians.