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washington national cathedral

The Holy Martyrs of the Armenian Genocide A Prayer for Justice and Peace

thursday, may 7, 2015 • 7:00 pm

Mercy and truth will meet. Justice and peace will embrace. Psalm 84(85):10

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entrance procession of ecumenical leaders

The people stand.

entrance procession

The Holy Martyrs of the Armenian Genocide A Prayer for Justice and Peace

Thursday, May 7, 2015

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Wondrous and ever-provident God, With foresight you granted salvation for the people of Armenia, Having generated from the sinful nation of Bartev An Enlightener for us. Therefore by his intercession, O Savior, Raise us to life now, And at your awe-inspiring second coming.

welcome The Most Reverend Dr. Katharine Jefferts Schori Presiding Bishop and Primate of The Episcopal Church

remarks His Excellency Serzh SargsyanPresident of the Republic of Armenia

message His Holiness Catholicos Aram I Catholicos of the Great House of Cilicia

introit

deacon Again in peace let us beseech the Lord. Receive our prayers, raise us to life and have mercy on us.

catholicos Blessing and glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit. Now and always and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

The people are seated.

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psalm 84(85) Translated from Armenian.

all Mercy and truth will meet. Justice and peace will embrace.

clergy Lord, you were pleased with your land and you overturned the enslavement of Jacob.


clergy You forgave the wrongdoing of your people and you covered over all their sins.


clergy You silenced all your wrath and you turned back from the anger of your fury.


clergy Turn toward us, O God our Savior and turn your fury away from us.


clergy Do not be angry with us forever and do not prolong your anger toward us from generation to generation.


clergy God, raise us again to life. Let your people rejoice in you!


clergy Show us your loving mercy, Lord and grant us your salvation.


clergy We have heard what the Lord our God speaks: Let God speak peace to his people, to his saints and to all that have turned to him in their hearts.


clergy His salvation is near those who fear him. His glory dwells in our land.


clergy Truth has sprouted from the earth. Justice has appeared from heaven.


clergy The Lord will grant what is sweet and our land will grant its fruits. Justice will walk in God’s presence, and set its footsteps in his path.


clergy Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.

all Now and always and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

The people stand.

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blessing of the evening lamp

Rejoice, Holy Church For Christ the King of heaven today has crowned you with his Cross, And he has adorned your fortress with his wondrous glory.

Delight greatly, O Daughter of Zion For by your second renewal the earth today has become heaven, And the heavenly King was pleased to dwell within you.

Exalting with the choirs of the heavenly hosts, Today we celebrate this unceasing glorification. Be glad, immaculate Bride, by your inscrutable mystery.

Blessed Lord, who dwells on high, blessed as well is the glory of your greatness. You created the lights on high and from the heavens you shined light throughout the universe. You created the sun to give light to the day, and the moon and the stars to give light to the night, as well as the light of the lamp. You are the Light to be praised, the holy and first Light. Darkness flees from you. Let your living light dawn in our hearts, Lord. And together we shall say: Blessed is your glorious, holy name. And we sing blessing and glory to you, to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, now and always and unto the ages of ages. Amen.


readings from sacred scripture the first reading Romans 8:31-39

What then shall we say to this? If God is for us, who is against us? He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, will he not also give us all things with him? Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies; who is to condemn? Is it Christ Jesus, who died, yes, who was raised from the dead, who is at the right hand of God, who indeed intercedes for us? Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written: “For thy sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.” No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

deacon Alleluia ortee.

The people stand.

catholicos Peace to all. all And with your spirit.

the gospel reading John 14:1-6

reader The Holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to John. deacon Glory to you, O God. Be attentive. God is speaking.

Jesus said, “Let not your hearts be troubled; believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And when I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also. And you know the way where I am going.” Thomas said to him, “Lord, we do not know where you are going; how can we know the way?” Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but by me.”

The people are seated at the invitation of the speaker.

homily The Reverend Dr. Olav Fykse Tveit General Secretary of the World Council of Churches

evening petitionsclergy Let us all say together, “Lord have mercy.”

all Lord have mercy.

clergy For peace in the whole world and for the stability of the holy church let us ask the Lord.


clergy For all holy and orthodox bishops and Christian leaders, let us ask the Lord.


clergy For the life of the Catholicos of All Armenians, His Holiness Karekin II; for the life of the Catholicos of the Great House of Cilicia, His Holiness Aram I; for the heads of all churches, and for the salvation of their souls, let us ask the Lord.


clergy For teachers of the church, priests, deacons, altar servers and all youth called to serve the church, let us ask the Lord.


clergy For devout rulers and God-loving leaders, for military commanders and their forces, that the almighty Lord will make them prevail in all wars against hostile powers. Let us ask the Lord.


clergy For seasonable weather, gentle rains and abundant crops, let us ask the Lord.


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clergy The great and mighty power of the holy cross to help us, let us ask the Lord.


clergy And also for our true and holy faith, together, let us ask the Lord.


clergy Let us commit ourselves and one another to the almighty Lord God.


clergy Have mercy on us, Lord our God, as befits your great mercy. Let us all say together:

all Lord have mercy. Lord have mercy. Lord have mercy.

The people stand.

prayer of the evening hourO Lord our God, hear our voices and receive our requests, the lifting up of our hands, and the words of our prayers, as you sanctify this evening offering that we have prepared as a sweet fragrance for your pleasure. Almighty Lord, increase our faith, hope, love and all manner of generous deeds, so that always leading a devout and disciplined life, day and night, according to your gracious will, we may be privileged to call upon you for our salvation and spiritual life, and receive grace and mercy from you. And with gratitude we will glorify the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and always and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

clergy Peace to all. all And with your spirit.

deacon Let us bow down before God. all Before you, Lord. Lord our God, as we bow down to you, we thank you for sending this long day peacefully on its way. Lord, we ask you to send us on our way through this evening and the coming night without sin and without stumbling. Let us remain steadfast in faith, in hope, and in love, always keeping your commandments, asking you for peace in the whole world, stability in your holy church, and salvation for our selves. And so having received what we ask from you, we will always send up duly majestic glory in the highest to your all-powerful lordship, O Christ our God, now and always and unto the ages of ages. Amen.


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hymn for the holy martyrs of 1915The Choir

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O blessed and holy martyrs, made wise by the heavenly light; you became like the grain of wheat, and harvested a bountiful crop of faith, bearing fruit for our land of Armenia. Beseech God to keep her in peace.

Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit. Now and always and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

You have been glorified with exceeding glory by the Father; and become more resplendent than the sun. You became worthy to reign with Christ. Beseech God to keep our world radiant.

The people stand.

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litany of the saints Chanted in Armenian. clergy Christ our God, for the sake of your holy and precious Cross, Lord, grant us peace.

choir Grant it, Lord.

clergy For the sake of the holy Mother of God and of John the Forerunner and of St. Stephen the first martyr, Lord, grant us peace.


clergy For the sake of your holy apostles, prophets, teachers, martyrs, heads of churches, hermits, nuns, solitaries and the heavenly powers, Lord, grant us peace.


clergy And for the sake of our first enlighteners, the apostles Saints Thaddeus and Bartholomew, and of the blessed apostles, the Saints James, and of St. Gregory our Enlightener, and of Saint James the Bishop of Nisibis, Marugeh the Hermit, Meletius the Bishop, and George the Captain, Lord, grant us peace.


clergy Loving Lord, through the intercession, memory and prayers of the holy martyrs who gave their lives during the Armenian Genocide for faith and for the homeland, whom we commemorate today, grant us the gift of peace and of your great mercy.


deacon Let us beseech the Lord through the prayers of the holy martyrs, who defeated evil and endured anguish, and became worthy of the luminous, heavenly and everlasting crowns. Through their prayers and intercession may the Lord have mercy on us and raise us to life.

all Lord have mercy. Lord have mercy. Lord have mercy.

Christ our God, you crown your saints with triumph and you do the will of all who fear you, looking after your creatures with love and kindness. Hear us from your holy and heavenly realm by the intercession of the Holy Mother of God and by the prayers of all your saints, especially the holy martyrs who gave their lives during the Armenian Genocide for faith and for the homeland, whom we commemorate today. Hear us Lord, and show us your mercy. Forgive, cancel and pardon our sins. Make us worthy thankfully to glorify you with the Father and with the Holy Spirit. Now and always and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

The people are seated at the invitation of the speaker.

message His Holiness Catholicos Karekin II Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians

The people stand.

the lord’s prayer and dismissal catholicos Blessed be our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

all Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy Name. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.

catholicos For thine is the kingdom and the power and glory forever. Amen. May you be blessed by the grace of the Holy Spirit. Depart in peace and may our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.

recessional

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Praise the Lord, O Jerusalem!Christ has risen from the dead. Alleluia!Come all people. Sing a song to the Lord. Alleluia!To the One risen from the dead. Alleluia!Who has shined light in our world. Alleluia!

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The Holy Martyrs of the Armenian GenocideA Prayer for Justice and Peace

sponsored by

The United States Conference of Catholic BishopsThe National Council of Church of Christ in the U.S.A.

Washington National CathedralThursday, May 7, 2015

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His Holiness Karekin IISupreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians

His Holiness Aram I

Catholicos of the Great House of Cilicia

His Holiness Ignatius Aphrem IIPatriarch of Antioch and All the East, Supreme Head of the Syriac Orthodox Church

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with the presence of

His Excellency Serzh SargsyanPresident of the Republic of Armenia

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with gratitude to

The Most Reverend Dr. Katharine Jefferts SchoriPresiding Bishop and Primate of The Episcopal Church

The Reverend Dr. Olav Fykse Tveit

General Secretary of the World Council of Churches

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This booklet was made possible through the generosity ofThe Edward and Grace Alexanian Fund

Massachusetts and Wisconsin Aves, NWWashington, DC 20016-5098

www.nationalcathedral.orgwww.twitter.com/wncathedral

www.facebook.com/wncathedral

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The Holy Martyrs of the Armenian Genocide A Prayer for ...cathedral.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/Armenia20150507.pdf · The Holy Martyrs of the Armenian Genocide A Prayer for Justice