As the great-grandson of St. Gregory the Illuminator, he
was heir to Armenia’s most exalted lineage, and possessed all the qualities of
a great spiritual leader. Yet he resisted becoming a priest, and by some
accounts only accepted ordination and advancement at the insistence of
Armenia’s king.The king may have had cause to regret it. For when the
new Catholicos Nersess ascended to the Throne of St. Gregory, he turned away
from matters of the royal court. To Nersess, the church was first and foremost
the servant and defender of the people. He strove to make Armenia a more
hospitable place for the weak and dispossessed, and for the cultivation of the
wholesome virtues of common family life.
He built schools and orphanages; hospitals and shelters
for the poor; monasteries and convents. At the bishops’ council of Ashdishad,
which Nersess convened in A.D. 364, he instituted reforms in the church canons
that placed Christian charity, moral cleanliness, sincere worship, marriage and
childrearing at the heart of religious observance.
Nersess was also outspoken in defiance of Armenia’s
impious leaders—and his unwavering moral integrity came at great cost. He was
deposed from office; exiled from his homeland; eventually poisoned at the order
of a depraved king. Nevertheless, his example of holiness and virtue left a
lasting impression on the Armenian Church and people, who saw fit to canonize
the reluctant catholicos, and name him “Nersess the Great.”
On Saturday, the Armenian Church will again remember this
remarkable 4th-century figure during the Feast of St. Nersess the Great. Honor
the day by performing an act of kindness for another living soul. And click
here to read more about his life and ministry. http://www.armenianchurch-ed.net/feasts/catholicos-st-nersess-the-great/
Hiç yorum yok:
Yorum Gönder
Not: Yalnızca bu blogun üyesi yorum gönderebilir.