It’s been 10 years since I last witnessed the ordination of an Armenian Orthodox priest, so I went tonight to welcome two new candidates into the sacred order we’ve been called to…. in the order of Melchezidek… into the priesthood.

Ten years since the last ordination was another reminder of the loneliness of the priest.  

Tonight was the service of “Calling.” The ordination of a priest takes place over two days, according to the Armenian Church tradition. The first evening, the ordaining bishop “quizzes” the candidate(s) about the Faith and about their individual faith – to make sure that the priesthood is truly a calling. On the second day (which we will witness tomorrow) the candidates are ordained into the priesthood, through a process of laying on of hands and consecration with the Holy Chrism (miuron).  At that point, they will receive new names, unbeknownst to them, but the decision of their spiritual parent, the ordaining bishop.

Just a comment about tonight, which may otherwise have gone unnoticed. The ordaining bishop goes through a series of names of heathens and heretics of the early church and asks the candidates to renounce them as distorters of the truth. Even more than renouncing, the candidates declare these heretics as anathema. All the big ones are remembered by name - Nestor, Mani, Arius. And some of the lesser known ones are remembered. But here’s the interesting part of it all – these are the heretics, right? In other words, these are the people who taught the wrong faith. They lived 1500 to 2000 years ago. And most of them, don’t have any followers today, if they do, they are very few in number.

So … why remember these heretics? Has it occurred to anyone that IF WE didn’t remember them (and we do, not only by name but by heresy as well) no one else would? Ironically then, by anathematizing them, we’re the only ones keeping them alive!

Like many people and events in our lives, we keep alive those things that have the potential to hurt us. We do this unconsciously, but why? Could it be that it helps us with our insecurities of faith and being? Perhaps we find comfort and strength in beating up the dead?

Ten years ago, at the last ordination (for Fr. Sarkis Petoyan), I expressed this concern of keeping alive the heretics to the then-Primate, Abp. Vatche. He allowed me to write five new anathemas, which we used in the service then. They included some of the modern heretics, e.g., Jehovah’s Witnesses and Mormons.

Tonight’s service ended without fanfare. It was a tranquil night filled with prayers. We were all touched by the youth of the candidates, their young wives and families. I’m sure each priest that was there tonight reflected back on the day that they were on bended knee, crawling up to the altar of God to begin a ministry.

The two deacons being ordained are Vahe Abovian and Mayis Shahabazian. Our prayers go out to both and their families as they begin this new chapter in their lives. They become the new links on the chain which begins with Jesus Christ and flows through the Apostles and the 2000 years of history that followed.