… He inquired of them where the Messiah was to be born. “In Bethlehem of Judea,” they told him; “for so it has been written by the prophet: ‘And you, O Bethlehem, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah. For from you shall come a ruler who is to shepherd my people…
In this inaugural episode of a new educational video series, St. Nersess Seminary graduate Kathryn Ashbahian explains the symbolism of the “Water Blessing” service performed in the Armenian Church on January 6, the Feast of the Nativity and Theophany of Our Lord.
The angel promised that his “good tidings of great joy” would one day be known by all people. But the announcement itself, on that glorious night some 2,000 years ago, was made to only a few, humble shepherds, in fields removed from any city or village. To reach the ears of the entire world, the announcement would have to be repeated, from person to person, from heart to heart, from generation to generation.