‘THE MOTHER IS THE PRIMARY TEACHER OF THE CHILD’ Said Aram I on the Feast of Transfiguration

08/13/2011

The feast of Transfiguration of the Mother of God (Sourp Asdvadzazin), 12-15 August, is a pilgrimage to St. Mary’s Monastery in Bikfaya (Lebanon). Once again pilgrims arrived bringing gifts for the preparation of ‘Harissa’, a traditional Armenian dish to be shared by the community after the Holy Liturgy.

Men, women, young and old spent Friday and Saturday at the Monastery by joining the prayers of the Hour, meditating and socializing. The Holy Liturgy was held on Saturday 19:00 hrs. in the courtyard of St. Mary’s Church. For the past few years the liturgy is celebrated outside the Church so that everybody could participate. His Holiness Aram I presided over the Holy Liturgy; Archbishop Komitas assisted by the clergy celebrated it; and the mixed Choir of the Catholicosate did the singing.

During this feast the Catholicos blesses the first harvest of grapes and the ‘Harissa’ during the liturgy. Acknowledging that 2011 was the year of the Armenian child, a little girl and a boy brought the harvest to the altar. After the blessing, His Holiness Aram I preached the sermon. He first referred to the mother-child relationship between Jesus and Mary according to the New Testament, and then spoke of the Armenian mother and her role in educating the child; and of the important role of parents in protecting their children.

The pilgrimage ended with a liturgy on Monday 15 August in the morning. At the end of the liturgy His Holiness Aram I presided over a requiem service in memory of the benefactors of the Church Alice and Yervant Demirdjian.

After the Liturgy the Catholicos shared an agape meal with the members of the Women’s guild of the St. Gregory the Illuminator Cathedral, the volunteers, the clergy and the seminarians that had reeived the pilgrims.

Source: