Youth Blessing At Holy Resurrection Armenian Church Of Seattle

On Saturday, January 30, the Armenian Church observed the Feast of St. Sarkis, the Warrior. 

St. Sarkis is considered a patron saint of young people. That day, the youth go to church to receive the blessing, asking for the intercession of the saint. On January 31, following the celebration of the Divine Liturgy, the members of the Senior and Junior ACYO of Holy Resurrection Armenian Church of Seattle received a blessing from their priest, the Rev. Fr. Vazgen Boyajyan.

We present excerpts from Fr. Vazgen’s address to the youth:

“Yesterday, we met with our junior members of ACYO at the Armenian House, talked about the life and faith of St. Sarkis. I also emailed a short story of St. Sarkis to our ACYO members. I hope they had the opportunity to read it, but at the same time, I was thinking about how they would understand or accept the life story of someone who belongs to ancient times. The life of someone who was filled with sacrifice and devotion to his faith. As we read about the lives of the saints, we always encounter their unconditional faith of which they sacrifice their lives for. Some of us may find this meaningful or pointless, especially in this mechanical, technological, or globalized life where human and religious values have become worthless or misunderstood. But human value and identity are built on its national traditions, culture, and faith, which our ancestors have sacredly preserved by the cost of their lives, and passed on to us as a legacy.

Dear youth, without traditions and faith our identity will be unknown to us, even having lots of success in our personal life will be deceptive. This is what we saw or realized during the war of Artsakh. Today, our Lord is messaging us “Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life” John 6.2. What we have inherited as a nation is eternal, which the Son of God has given to you. Many wanted to spoil ours, but could not. Why? Because whatever we inherited is given by God. Ours is divine, today is our turn to live, protect and keep our values, otherwise times are bad, as the Apostle Paul says in his second letter to Timothy 3.1-5. But mark this: “There will be terrible times in the last days. Two people will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy,  without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God—having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with such people.”

Dear youth, we want you to be away from all these temptations. That's why you have a church in your community which is a strong fortress of your lives.”

In his sermon, Fr. Vazgen encouraged the youth to stay connected to their culture, faith, and traditions.