The Armed Forces Have Been Wounded but Haven't Died: Message from the Primate of Artsakh

Artsakh's Primate, Bishop Vrtanes Abrahamyan, has sent a message of blessing on the occasion of the May Triad: "Do not tread on me, O my enemy; when I fall, I will rise again, for the Lord is my light" (Micah 7:8).

Dear compatriots,

With these God-inspired words, the prophet Micah addresses his enemies when he pleads with God for salvation for his people, witnessing the suffering of his compatriots and the devastation of the land. However, being a proclaimer of justice, he also presents the reasons for the enemy's defeat: "I will bear the indignation of the Lord because I have sinned against Him, until He pleads my cause and executes judgment for me; He will bring me forth to the light, and I shall see His righteousness" (Micah 7:9).

The May Triad has been a source of joy and strength for all of us for many years. Indeed, today, we cannot celebrate and rejoice with the same fervor, deceiving ourselves, but we cannot ignore and forget the simple reason that no present misfortune can diminish the heroism, love, and dedication of the past. Therefore, although these holidays have ceased to be a source of joy for us, they have not ceased to be a source of strength.

Our forefathers participated wholeheartedly in World War II. History has clearly shown that one of the most dangerous instruments of evil that devastates the world is fascism, which is both anti-human and anti-Christian. Unfortunately, history has an undesirable trait of repetition, and defeated evil rises from the ashes time after time. We again faced national hatred and its brutal manifestations during the 44-day war, when the enemy took pleasure in torturing defenseless prisoners of war simply because they were from a different nation. A disgraceful manifestation of Nazism was also the Victory Park opened in Baku.

May 9 is also the birthday of the first son of the Artsakh Movement—the Artsakh Defense Army, which, by taking a heroic path, brought the joy of liberating our homeland and the realization of a dream fulfilled for centuries to the Armenian people. After the recent heavy trial, the Defense Army has been wounded but not dead and is capable of performing unexpected miracles.

Indeed, the "stone of the ring" of the Artsakh struggle was the liberation of Shushi. As great was the joy during those days, so too is the depth of grief today. By God's providence, the military and spiritual authorities decided to commence the operation for the liberation of Shushi on the day of the revelation of the Cross, remembering the very message that Emperor Constantine received in heaven in Jerusalem with the appearance of the Sign of the Cross: "With this, you will conquer." Our soldiers and military equipment, bearing the white sign of the Cross, turned the liberation of the Armenian fortress into a grand wedding in the mountains.

Gaining victory in the creation of a homeland is only half the job; the other half is to maintain that victory and be worthy of it. Often we glorify our martyrs and subconsciously attribute the victory only to them, content with that. Naturally, their sacrifice is the greatest and immeasurable, but their part of the task has already been accomplished; the duty and responsibility of the living remain in progress, in order to maintain what has been acquired by blood. Unfortunately, we often win in bloody wars and lose in bloodless wars.

When we adhered to the Sign of the Lord's Cross, which symbolizes love for God and homeland, we achieved great victories. However, when we distanced ourselves from the symbol of the Cross in peaceful times, we faced loss and the loss of our homeland. Instead of humbly and honorably standing guard over the victory granted to us by God, we became proud and began to squander our victory and time. It may sound harsh, but we, who freed Artsakh with God's help, have led it to ruin.

Yet nothing is lost, and salvation is always possible. Today, our neighbors, turned into instruments of evil's hand, are trying to crush us with the ancient weapons of evil: fear, uncertainty, bread issues, and material hardships that seek to pull us into chaos. The weapons to fight against evil have always been real and accessible for us: Hope, Faith, Love, this is indeed the full meaning and wisdom of the Cross and our arsenal to overcome chaos. No matter how many negotiations happen on various platforms, we, as a collective nation, must understand that first and foremost we must succeed in negotiations with God, and God does not negotiate diplomatically but speaks simply and clearly: "Return to Me, and I will return to you."

No matter how closed all roads and doors may be, the door of God's mercy is always open, and the keys are in our hands. Thus, dear ones, rediscovering our past victories, let us be filled with faith and hope for our future, relying on God and the strength of our united arm, and let us address God with the prayer of the times: "King of peace, our souls' Savior, Christ God, keep Your people under the protection of Your holy and precious Cross in Your peace; save them from visible and invisible enemies, and make them worthy to glorify You with thanksgiving along with the Father and the Holy Spirit, now and forever. Amen."