Dear Friends,

It’s my great pleasure to welcome Father Sahak Kaishian into our midst this day. As I had announced Der Sahak has been assigned to pastor our parish during my one year sabbatical in Holy Etchmiadzin. May the Lord grant Der Hayr many years of fruitful ministry in the vineyard of the Armenian Apostolic Church. For your information, today I am celebrating the Divine Liturgy at St. Sahag Armenian Church in St. Paul, one of our newest parishes. I have good ties with that parish from the days of its consecration over six years ago.

Yesterday the Armenian Church celebrated the Feast of the Archangels Gabriel and Michael and all the Heavenly Hosts. The word “angel” comes from the Greek “angelos” meaning “messenger” and in Armenian “hreshdag.” In the holy scriptures, time and time again we encounter these special emissaries of God. While they are by nature strictly speaking incorporeal or spiritual beings, at times they appear in human form. An excellent example of this is the visit of the three angels to the Patriarch Abraham (Genesis 18). In the New Testament we encounter angels at the most significance moments of our Lord Jesus’ life, announcing His birth and being present at the empty tomb of His resurrection.

In our liturgical life we often make mention of the “guardian angels – bahaban hreshdagk” whom we prayerfully approach for spiritual protection against the assaults of the evil one.

The Holy Church recognizing nine orders of angelic beings, which are divided into three hierarchies, each of which is divided into three orders: the highest, the intermediate, and the lower.

The first hierarch, the highest and closest to the Most Holy Trinity, consists of the SERAPHIM, CHERUBIM, and THRONES. The middle hierarchy also consists of three orders of holy angels: the DOMINIONS, the VIRTUES, and the POWERS. In the lowest hierarchy there are also three orders: the PRINCIPALITIES, the ARCHANGELS, and the ANGELS.

In our blessed Lord Jesus’ prophecy regarding His second coming He mentions the special role of the angels “And He shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together His elect from the four winds.” (Matt 24:31), ie. from the East, West, North, and South.

The angel of peace to guard our souls, let us ask of the Lord.

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With prayers.
Hayr Simeon
November 9, 2008