A Blessing on the Feast of the Annunciation of the Holy Mother of God
Beloved mothers, sisters, and daughters,
Today, the Holy Church celebrates the Feast of the Annunciation of the Holy Mother of God—the greatest woman in the history of humankind. In our tradition, this day is also cherished as the celebration of motherhood.
Throughout all eras of Armenian history, the sacred mission of mothers has been invaluable. The honor and reverence shown to mothers in our culture has been elevated to the level of sanctity.
Your devotion and heroic sacrifice—especially in giving birth to and raising children who have become defenders of the homeland—are immeasurable.
Holy Mary, the perfect model of motherhood, witnessed the crucifixion of her Son with her own eyes. And it is difficult to say whose pain was greater: Christ's physical suffering or the mental anguish of the Mother watching her Son’s torment.
Many of you, over the past thirty years, have borne the bitterness of losing a son in the wars of Artsakh. Some have lost relatives, brothers, fathers, or husbands during the First Artsakh War, and later mourned the loss of their sons in the Second Artsakh War. Although human grief is incomparable and emotions immeasurable, your collective sacrifice may be likened to that of the Holy Mother of God. If the Son of God, through His sacrifice, atoned for the sins of mankind, then our sons laid down their lives on the altar of the salvation of the homeland.
Yet just as the grief of the Holy Mother did not remain without comfort, so too must the hearts of our mothers not fall into hopelessness and endless sorrow. For through the Resurrection of our Lord, the hope of life was restored, and death is no longer the final destination of human existence—but a path to a new life. The Holy Mother’s boundless love for a sinful humanity is an example to us all—to love and to seek love even among those for whom our sons gave their lives.
The Feast of the Annunciation is a celebration of hope and unwavering faith. The angel's proclamation—“Rejoice, O favored one, the Lord is with you” (Luke 1:28)—is addressed to each of us. For we no longer belong to death and irreversible loss, but to the Creator of Light, who through His Resurrection has illuminated and eternalized our entire existence.
Therefore, beloved mothers, sisters, and daughters, may this hopeful feast of the Annunciation bring healing to your wounds and a triumphant faith in Life.
With love, we extend our heartfelt congratulations on the occasion of the feast of motherhood and beauty. Rejoice, for the Lord is with you.
