Tag Archives: Pascha

The Serbian Orthodox Church to her spiritual children at Pascha, 2012

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Irinej, Patriarch of Serbia

By the grace of God

Orthodox Archbishop of Pec, Metropolitan of Belgrade-Karlovci and
Serbian Patriarch, with the all the Hierarchs of the Serbian Orthodox
Church – to all the clergy, monastics, and all the sons and daughters
of our Holy Church: grace, mercy and peace from God the Father, and
our Lord Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit, with the joyous Paschal
greeting:

CHRIST IS RISEN!

”This is the day which the Lord made;

Let us rejoice, and be glad in it”!

The Resurrection of Christ our Savior is, dear brothers and sisters
and all our spiritual children throughout the inhabited world, “The
Feast of Feasts, the celebration above all celebrations” – the Miracle
above all miracles and the Gift above all gifts, which All-Mighty God,
in His immeasurable mercy and love, has given to mankind. In this Gift
are found all gifts; in this Blessing are found all blessings – as
here on earth, so also in heaven (cf. Ephesians 1:3).

The world has been enlightened with the light of God’s truth, and
mankind has been filled with great joy as the greatest treasure sent
to us from above by God’s Providence.

That which the prophets of old and Godly inspired people prophesied
thousands of years ago and communicated to the chosen people of God
has taken place openly, magnificently and gloriously in the presence
of a multitude of eyewitnesses (cf. I Cor. 15:4-8).

“Arise, O Lord, judge the earth!” (Psalm 82:8) – the prophet of God
has written; and we, so many centuries later, sing that very same song
knowing that it really has to do with Christ’s Resurrection.

The Resurrection affirms that man is created for eternity, for
immortality, and not for ephemeral life.

The Holy Apostles, having seen His empty tomb, witnessed with their
lives to that which they had heard, seen and touched with their hands
(cf. I John 1:1), joyously and courageously proclaiming Christ’s
Resurrection to the people in Jerusalem and Palestine (cf. Acts 4:20).
They, with the Myrrhbearing Women, were the first heralds of the news
that the Savior of the world, by His sacrifice on Golgotha and His
glorious resurrection, has opened the door of God’s Kingdom to mankind
“in which mercy and truth have met together; righteousness and peace
have kissed each other” (Psalm 85:11).

Christ’s Resurrection is not a joy given of this world. The source of
that joy is God’s goodness and love; and it carries the seal of
eternity. That joy’s existence and endurance is not dependent upon on
the will and power of people, but rather on the almighty will and
power of God. That is why the Savior has told His disciples that no
one can take it away from them (cf. John 16:22).

By His glorious resurrection the Savior has given us life eternal (cf.
Rom. 6:23), and the joy of eternal life, because “Christ is risen from
the dead, and has become the first fruits of those who have fallen
asleep” (I Cor. 15:20) – joy, because the sacrifice for our salvation
has been offered on the Cross, and we are called to freedom (cf. Gal.
5:13); joy, because we have been cleansed from the ancestral curse by
the Most Pure Blood of the Savior (cf. I John 1:7); joy, because
through the Resurrected Christ, guided by the Holy Spirit, we enter
“into the joy of our Master” (Matthew 25:21).

With Christ’s Resurrection the saving mystery of mankind’s redemption
from sin and death has been accomplished. This new Pascha of the Lord
reveals the truth that we have passed from death to life (cf. John
5:24); and that Christ remains with us in all the days until the end
of the world (cf. Matthew 28:20).

When we know that the Lord is with us and in us, we must turn to Him,
confess to Him our sorrow and trials. He will comfort us, strengthen
us and lead us through this earthly life. Let us safeguard this gift
of God within us and ever be watchful, dear spiritual children, so as
not to offend our Lord with any sins.

Out of love for Him, let us not allow sins to blemish us. When
attacked by the enemy, like the Apostle Peter let us cry out: “Lord,
save me!” (Matthew 14:30).

Understandably, in life we will experience many trials, injustices and
sadness. But know that the Lord, so long as we are with Him, turns the
greatest sadness into joy, because He said to His disciples and
Apostles: “In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good
cheer, I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33)

The God-Man Himself has experienced much sadness, tribulation and
suffering. On Great and Holy Friday the greatest and the most fearsome
dual in the entire historical struggle between good and evil took
place, the battle between truth and untruth, between life and death.

The most mysterious question asked by every man, which a few thousand
years earlier was asked by the Righteous Job, is: “If a man dies,
shall he live again”? (Job 14:14) Before this eternal question the
greatest minds of the world bow their heads in silence. But we
Christians know the meaning of our life, and have our hope – and our
hope is in the Resurrected Lord. “I am the resurrection and the life;
whoever believes in Me, even if he dies, yet shall he live.” – said
the Savior of the world (John 11:25)

It is written somewhere that man begins to die the very day that he is
born. But he also begins to resurrect to eternal life when he receives
Christ as his Savior and Lord, that is, when he begins to live life
according to Christ.

So that we may live according to the Gospel, dear brothers and
sisters, it is necessary to arm ourselves with the whole armor of God,
to put on the breastplate of righteousness (cf. Ephesians 6:13-14);
but above all things to put on love, which is the bond of perfection
(cf. Colossians 3:14).

“This I command to you” – said the sweet Christ – “that you love one
another” (John 15:17); “By this all will know that you are My
disciples, if you have love for one another”, (John13:35); “Greater
love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his
friends” (John 15:13); “As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you;
abide in My love” (John 15:9).

This is the kind of commandment Christ has given us. No other law-
giver, no other worldly wise man, could have brought more perfect and
more salutary law: clear, simple, beneficial and all useful. This law
is the basis for life, for where there is no love, hate, evil, vice,
chaos, jealousy, malice, revenge, and the annihilation of life rule.

This law of Christ is attainable by all: learned and unlearned, rich
and poor, healthy and sick, powerful and weak, genius and uneducated,
old and young.

By His glorious Resurrection the Savior at the same time has revealed
the steadfastness and life-creating nature of His Holy Church on
earth, in which the Holy Spirit lives and works. She is a living
organism of God and our Savior, Who personally manifests Himself in
the Holy Liturgy through the sacred Mystery of Holy Communion, because
the Holy Spirit guides and leads the Church, and not the spirit of
this world.

All of us who ar baptized and enlightened by the Spirit of Truth have
become the members of Christ’s Church. Therefore, all of us through
the power of the faith given to us by God can say: “I can do all
things through Christ who strengthens me” (Philippians 4:13), always
asking: what kind of member of Christ’s Church am I? Am I obedient to
my Church which teaches me and my children towards goodness, chastity,
holiness and nobleness?

By His resurrection Christ unites our loved ones, both living and
those departed in the Orthodox faith, with us. With Him we know and
feel that they are with us and we are with them connected with the
unbreakable bonds of God’s eternal love.

This great day, this holy day, this the day of the Resurrection of our
Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, through its meaning, its message and its
teaching obligates all of us to safeguard and rightfully confess our
Orthodox faith. Above all, it obligates us to safeguard human
dignity, in everyone, and in ourselves. For the Son of God took upon
Himself the sins of the entire world, suffered and resurrected, to
make all people children of God (cf. Ephesians 1:5).

This Feast Day requires that we live our life in full awareness of our
responsibility. The duties that we are to accomplish – whether in the
home, or field, or in a factory in front of a machine, as educators
and teachers, as clergy and preachers of Truth, as statesmen and
leaders of this nation, must be done properly and responsibly. Always
in the name of God Who has indebted us to redeem the time of our life
with love and sacrifice, while being watchful that no one is brought
to tears or becomes sorrowful because of us. Thanks to the Resurrected
Lord, every innocently shed tear of man is saved in the bosom of the
God-Man.

Therefore, dear spiritual children, lovingly safeguard the mystery of
life established and sanctified by God Himself. Do this for our
tranquility and the reputation of our nation, for our children – our
biggest treasure, for whom you live and work. Of course, do this
without leaving out true faithfulness and mutual forgiveness.

Respect and safeguard the sanctity of Christian marriage, because it
is the foundation of an uplifted, healthy and upright family.
Abortion, the greatest crime of this age, is spreading throughout our
nation as a plaque. It is awful to even imagine that half of million
unborn babies every year are deprived of life, and thus have never
seen the light of the world. Husbands, have in mind the words of the
Lord: “You shall not murder, and whoever murders will be in danger of
the judgment”. (Matthew 5:21)

On this great day of joy and life we greet our mothers, who with their
love, day and night watchfully guard the cribs of their children. We
greet the sick, despised, humiliated and imprisoned; we greet all the
laborers and workers, travelers and those who intend well; teachers
and students; we greet founders and donors, builders and benefactors.
We pray with faith and hope for all those persecuted and driven from
their homesteads, that the Lord may wipe away their every tear (cf.
Revelation 7:17). We offer our unceasing prayers to our Resurrected
Christ for our brothers and sisters in Kosovo and Metohija. We ask
them to never give up in spirit and to remain faithful to their
Orthodox faith on their and our ancestral homestead.

Presenting to you, dear brothers and sisters, the meaning of the Holy
Resurrection of Christ for all mankind, in fraternal love, we ask you
to carefully and soberly discern the events and times in which we
live. Let us discern good from evil, the temporary from the eternal,
the permanent from the transient.

We pray to our Resurrected Lord that we may experience His
Resurrection as our own resurrection and as deliverance from every
kind of spiritual and moral illness and temptation!

May the luminous rays of Christ’s Resurrection illumine all of you in
our Homeland, those of you living abroad and all people of good will.

“Do not be afraid, for I have overcome the world. I am the
resurrection and the life, everyone who believes in Me, even if he
dies, shall live”, the Resurrected Lord tells us so that we may know.

Christ is Risen!

Indeed He Is Risen!

Given at the Serbian Patriarchate in Belgrade at Pascha 2012.

Your prayerful intercessors before the Risen Lord:

Archbishop of Pec,
Metropolitan of Belgrade-Karlovci and
Serbian Patriarch IRINEJ
Metropolitan of Zagreb and Ljubljana JOVAN
Metropolitan of Montenegro and the Coastlands AMPHILOHIJE
Metropolitan of Dabro-Bosna NIKOLAJ
Bishop of Sabac LAVRENTIJE
Bishop of Zvornik-Tuzla VASILIJE
Bishop of Srem VASILIJE
Bishop of Banja Luka JEFREM
Bishop of Budim LUKIJAN
Bishop of Canada GEORGIJE
Bishop of Banat NIKANOR
Bishop of New Gracanica – Midwestern America LONGIN
Bishop of Eastern America MITROPHAN
Bishop of Zica CHRYSOSTOM
Bishop of Backa IRINEJ
Bishop of Great Britain and Scandinavia DOSITEJ
Bishop of Bihac and Petrovac CHRYSOSTOM
Bishop of Osijek and Baranja LUKIJAN
Bishop of Central Europe CONSTANTINE
Bishop of Western Europe LUKA
Bishop of Timok JUSTIN
Bishop of Vranje PAHOMIJE
Bishop of Sumadija JOVAN
Bishop of Slavonia SAVA
Bishop of Branicevo IGNATIJE
Bishop of Milesevo FILARET
Bishop of Dalmatia FOTIJE
Bishop of Budimlje and Niksic JOANIKIJE
Bishop of Zahumlje and Hercegovina GRIGORIJE
Bishop of Valjevo MILUTIN
Bishop of Raska-Prizren TEODOSIJE
Bishop of Nis JOVAN
Bishop of Western America MAXIM
Bishop of Gornji Karlovac GERASIM
Bishop of Australia and New Zealand IRINEJ
Bishop of Krusevac DAVID
Retired Bishop of Zahumlje and Hercegovina ATANASIJE,
Vicar Bishop of Hvostno ATANASIJE
Vicar Bishop of Jegar PORFIRIJE
Vicar Bishop of Moravica ANTONIJE
Vicar Bishop of Lipljan JOVAN
Vicar Bishop of Remezijan ANDREJ
THE ARCHDIOCESE OF OCHRID
Archbishop of Ochrid and Metropolitan of Skoplje JOVAN
Bishop of Polos and Kumanovo JOAKIM
Bishop of Bregal and locum tenens of the Diocese of Bitolj MARKO

Vicar Bishop of Stobija DAVID

[Path of Orthodoxy translation]

Fr. John Meyendorff — Pascha: Victory of Life

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Some beautiful words by Fr. John Meyendorff as we celebrate Pascha today:

Christ in Risen! Indeed He is Risen!

Pascha: Victory of Life

The holy feast of Christ’s Resurrection celebrates the central “Good News” of the
Orthodox Christian faith.

Do we always realize how much of our day – today existence is dominated by the power that Death still exercises in the world? Each one of us, from the very moment of birth, is menaced with sickness, suffering, sometimes hunger, and so many other anxieties. All these are only preliminaries of what is the inevitable fate of all mankind. And it is the conscious – or unconscious – awareness of each man and women that death is forthcoming which leads them to struggle for existence – most frequently against their neighbors. What is the real origin of all the conflicts, all the wars, all the social injustices, all the terrors and repressions which man wages against man, if not the desire of individuals or groups to gain – at the expense of their neighbors – a little more illusory security, a little delay in the inevitable end? The imminence of death generates this fear and this insecurity, while the latter lead to desperate self – defense, which excuses any action against one’s fellow man.

This is the situation of sinful and mortal mankind which Christ came to save through His Resurrection from the dead. The Resurrection breaks the vicious circle of death and sin. It brings to man the hope of immortality, and makes his ‘struggle for existence’ unnecessary.

It is only in the light of Christ’s Resurrection, which is also a liberation from fear and insecurity, that Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount becomes truly meaningful. “Give to him who begs from you, and do not refuse him who would borrow from you…. Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust consume… Do not be anxious about your life, what you shall eat and what you shall drink… Do not be anxious about tomorrow” (Mathew, chapters 5 and).

These precepts would be empty words only, of we were not “dead and risen” with Christ in our baptism, if the Risen Lord was not with us “always, to the close of the age” (Mathew 28:29. Our Easter greeting is a cry of victory over death and sin:

“Christ is risen! He is risen indeed!”

April, 1973

Fr. John Meyendorff. “Witness to the World”, S. Vladimir Seminary Press. Crestwood , N.Y. 1987. Pages 170 – 171.

I wish to acknowledge a debt of thanks to Nina Tkachuk Dimas for posting this most timely of articles.

What Happened on the Cross by St. John of Damascus (7th century)

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By nothing else except the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ has death been
brought low:

The sin of our first parent destroyed,
hell plundered,
resurrection bestowed,
the power given us to despise the things of this world,
even death itself,
the road back to the former blessedness made smooth,
the gates of paradise opened,
our nature seated at the right hand of God,
and we made children and heirs of God.

By the Cross all these things have been set aright…

It is a seal that the destroyer may not strike us,
a raising up of those who lie fallen,
a support for those who stand,
a staff for the infirm,
a crook for the shepherded,
a guide for the wandering,
a perfecting of the advanced,
salvation for soul and body,
a deflector of all evils,
a cause of all good,
a destruction of sin,
a plant of resurrection,
and a tree of eternal life.

Paths of the Spirit: Why are there different dates for Easter?

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Fr. Gabriel Rochelle of St. Anthony of the Desert Orthodox Mission in Las Cruces, New Mexico, gives a very nice primer on some differences between Eastern Orthodoxy and other Western denominations, especially in regards to the Paschal Calendar.

Troparion from Bridegroom Matins

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Behold the Bridegroom comes in the middle of the night.
Blessed is the servant He shall find awake.
But the one He shall find neglectful will not be worthy of Him.
Beward, therefore, O my soul!
Do not fall into a deep slumber, lest you be delivered to death,
And the door of the Kingdom be closed to you.
Watch instead and cry out:
Holy, Holy, Holy are You, O God!
Through the intercession of the Mother of God, Have mercy on us!

Thanks to Mary Lanser who originally posted this in a mailing list.

Homily for 4/1/12 – L5 – Christian Leadership

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Fr. David Moser, always worth reading:

Mark 10:32-45

In the past couple of weeks as we read the Gospel, we have seen that
Jesus has begun to prepare his disciples for His coming crucifixion,
resurrection and ascension. Gradually He introduces them to the idea
that even though it may appear that He has been taken from them, that
this will not be the case and that even death will not be able to
separate Him from them. As the time of their journey to Jerusalem draws
near, Jesus more and more begins to give His disciples the tools that
they will need in their coming ministry as the leaders of His Church
which will be built upon the rock of His own life and resurrection and
which will be realized by the coming of the Holy Spirit. For this
reason, in today’s Gospel account our Lord takes advantage of an
internal rivalry among the disciples about who is or will be greater in
the Kingdom of Heaven to teach them how they will lead the Church.

James and John had asked Jesus in a moment of privacy for the privilege
of sitting one at His right hand and one at His left in the Kingdom of
heaven. Still seeing the Kingdom of heaven as a worldly institution,
then aspired to the seats of honor next to the Great Lord and King
Himself. Taking this moment to teach them, Jesus pointed out to them
that if they were to aspire to be with Him in honor, that they must also
suffer with Him saying, “Ye know not what ye ask: can ye drink of the
cup of which I drink? and be baptized with the baptism with which I am
baptized?” and yet this by itself did not qualify them to occupy the
positions of honor in the Kingdom of heaven to which they aspired. When
the other disciples heard of this, they began to grumble and complain
against James and John, thinking that these two had tried to push aside
the others and secretly take for themselves the greater honor.

This was the moment that Jesus took to teach His disciples about what it
meant to receive honors and positions of leadership in the Kingdom of
heaven saying, “Ye know that they which are accounted to rule over the
Gentiles exercise lordship over them; and their great ones exercise
authority upon them. But so shall it not be among you: but whosoever
will be great among you, shall be your minister: And whosoever of you
will be the chiefest, shall be servant of all. For even the Son of man
came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a
ransom for many.” This saying points out the basic difference in the
order of men and the order of God. Among men, Jesus pointed out, rulers
exercise authority over their subjects, but with God, those who are
given the responsibility to lead do so by serving their subjects. And
the greatest example of this is Jesus Christ Himself, the God/man, the
creator of the world who will voluntarily give up His own life for the
whole world. He does not command the world to follow Him, but rather He
loves mankind and through His own sacrifice and service opens the way
for them to follow Him in love. This is the essential difference between
worldly honor and leadership on one hand and heavenly honor and
leadership on the other. Men lead from a position of authority –
commanding their followers, but Jesus (and those who would follow after
Him) will lead from a position of humility – serving others and leading
by love and compassion.

The disciple of St Silouan, Archimandrite Sophrony (Sakharov) of Essex,
gave a pair of images to point out this difference. He spoke of worldly
authority and honor as a great pyramid. At the broad base of the pyramid
were the greatest mass of people who would be led. As a person rose to
positions of greater honor and responsibility, they also rose higher in
the pyramid. Each layer supported all those above it and were supported
in turn by those below it. Thus those at the base of the pyramid, those
of the least honor, supported all the rest by their labor and loyalty
while those at the top of the pyramid supported no one and were
supported by all, and yet they were responsible to guide the whole of
the pyramid. With greater honor and responsibility came also a greater
host of people supporting that person. This pyramid looks very familiar
to those of us who have encountered the worldly forms of government and
leadership (whether governmental or in other organizations). Those at
the top have the vision and guide the whole group while they are
supported by all the other members on lower levels who do their bidding
and realize their plans.

The Kingdom of God, however, is a different image given to us by Fr
Sophrony. He describes honor and authority in the Kingdom of God as the
same pyramid, but upside down. The one of greatest honor (our Lord Jesus
Christ Himself) is at the point of the pyramid upon which the weight of
the whole rests. He is not supported by all the rest, but supports them.
Those of greater honor and authority in the Kingdom of God do not lead
from above, but support from below. As one is given greater honor, he
also receives greater grace from God so that he might also participate
in supporting all those who are “below” himself while being supported
only by those “above” himself – and in the end being fully supported and
carried by our Lord Jesus Christ Himself. This image is remarkable for
it shows us that in the Kingdom of God those who are called to greater
authority are also called to the greater labor of supporting all those
who are under that authority. This is the image of the truth of the
words, “whosoever will be great among you, shall be your minister: And
whosoever of you will be the chiefest, shall be servant of all.”

What then does this mean for those of us here in our own small parish
here in this city. We are not, after all, in positions of great honor in
the world. We do not lead the Church but strive to conform ourselves to
the life of the Church as we are led and taught by others. But that does
not mean that we do not ascend to places of honor in the Church. God
gives to each of us a place and in that place there are those who
support us and those whom we support. Most obvious of this is the place
of parents and children. The commandments speak to us and say “honor
your parents”. But that honor of being a parent comes also with the
necessity and responsibility that the parent has to support his own
child and to care for him and provide for him in every way. Not only do
we see this “upside down” pyramid of honor in the natural order of
parents and children, but we also see it in the relationships of
godparents, (spiritual parents) and their spiritual children. Godparents
step into that place of honor and support their own godchildren in their
spiritual life and growth. In every parish there are those who have the
responsibility to keep order, to teach, to serve in the altar, to sing,
and so on. Each of these roles carries with it its own honor and
therefore also demands that we serve and support others through our
responsibilities.
There are those who simply by their own age and experience in the
spiritual life are honored as elder brothers and sisters – these too are
called upon to support those in the parish who have less experience and
maturity than themselves. At times we elect parish officers and parish
council members – again positions which bring with them some honor and
authority, but which also demand that we serve our brothers and sisters.
There are also the clergy, the priest and deacon and those who are
raised into the minor orders of the clergy. These are positions of
honor, and our traditions about how to treat the priest or deacon and
how to interact with them indicate for us how that honor is expressed.
But this honor also carries with it the responsibility to serve the
parish and the pastor by his labors and prayers supports the whole
parish in its spiritual life. Of course our bishop is greatly honored
and yet he holds not only our parish, but every parish and clergyman in
the diocese in his hand and by his labors and prayers we are supported.
This is how the honor and authority of the Kingdom of God is expressed.

If we have this responsibility to support others, how then do we do so?
First and foremost we do this by praying for one another, but not only
for one another, we pray with one another. When we pray for someone, we
reach out and offer some of our own strength to them in their need. When
we pray with someone, we pick them up and walk together with them for a
little time, supporting them by our own strength. Other means of
supporting one another is to simply offer encouragement – to listen as
one pours out his heart, expressing his frustration, his weakness, his
sorrows, his hopes and dreams and to offer words of comfort and
encouragement along the way. Sometimes no words are needed, but simply
to be present and by your very presence ease the burden of another
person. At times a more active role is needed – to provide for some
physical need or to offer assistance in some labor. To work with one
another is a means of supporting one another. If we work together in all
things, we fulfill the spirit of this Gospel of the vital necessity to
serve one another.

We are here together in the Church, not as a social club or as a service
organization or for some other worldly purpose. We are in the Church
first and foremost to work out our salvation. In doing this we are
supported by others, by our elders, by our clergy, by our bishops. We
are supported by those who have had some experience or who simply have a
greater reserve of strength at the moment. We, in fact, are here to work
out our salvation together. In this undertaking, we are all supported by
our Lord Jesus Christ Who in His hand carries not only you and I, but
Who carries all the Church and Who, by His grace which He pours out upon
us all, enables us to support and help and encourage those around us so
that together we might enter into the Kingdom of God praising and
glorifying Him to whom we are united in love.

–
Archpriest David Moser
St Seraphim of Sarov Orthodox Church (ROCOR)
Homilies: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/propoved/
Website: http://stseraphimboise.org

The Donkey That No One Could Ride

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As Christians prepare for Palm Sunday and Easter, I thought I’d take the time to post this video made more for children on the importance of Jesus Christ entering into Jerusalem on a donkey, fulfilling several prophecies. To read more on those, check out the following link here thanks to Canterbury Tales.