INVOCATION

By His Eminence Archbishop Oshagan Choloyan
Prelate, Armenian Apostolic Church of America, Eastern USA
Washington, April 13, 2011
96th Commemoration of the Armenian Genocide
Capitol Hill, Washington, DC

In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, Amen.
        Almighty God, we stand before you today as Americans seeking Your divine guidance in all of our lives, especially for the leaders of our great nation. Grant them the wisdom and courage that will prompt them to serve faithfully the principles of the United States of America, which was founded on Your teachings.
        We stand before You today also as the sons and daughters of Armenia, with immense gratitude for the open arms that welcomed the survivors to the United States after the Genocide by Ottoman Turkey at the beginning of the 20th century.
        We come before You today not with demands, but in the quest for justice which is Your Divine Law. Without justice there can never be peace and harmony in the world. Justice must not be an orphan. History must be written and acknowledged truthfully, because truth heals, truth redeems, truth restores hope, and leads to justice.
        We seek justice not only for our own ancestors, but for everyone during these troubled times when there is injustice on many fronts. As Martin Luther King said, “Injustice anywhere is injustice everywhere.”
        In this month of April, when the earth is reawakening after a barren winter, we ask You to remember Your faithful children, the one and one-half million of our compatriots who were banished from their ancestral homes and who were martyred 96 years ago. They wait for justice still.
        Almighty God, we are Your faithful servants. Embrace us in Your Light, and bless this gathering and all those in attendance, especially the leaders of Congress and the organizers of this commemoration. Give them, and us, the vision that will help us toil for justice because we steadfastly believe the words of President John F. Kennedy, “Let us go forth, asking His blessing and His help, but knowing that here on earth God’s work must truly be our own.”
        We profess our faith with heart and mind, in word and deed in Your glory forever. Amen.