To all the clergy, monks, nuns, and lay folk in my radio audience, share in the joy of our Lord this day! He is Risen! After the seven weeks of Lent, the shining miracle of Christ’s Resurrection is again before us! Everyone is joining the myrrhbearers and the Apostles in beholding the Sepulchre that no longer contains the bodily remains of our Lord. He is Risen!
The faith in the Resurrection is a bottomless source of earthly fortitude for everyone. According to St Gregory of Nyssa, no person can be sorrowful enough not to find comfort on Easter Day. The Russian Church follows the behest of St Seraphim of Sarov to do everything in its power to make this comfort last. Compassion, charity, and prayer during the holy week of Easter should equip an Orthodox Christian for pursuing his or her Gospel mission throughout the entire year.
In Russia, the Christian vision of the family is particularly important for this. The family is a shrine of values, a citadel of pre-marital chastity, a fortress of marital fidelity, and a tender cradle for the Christian upbringing of our kids. St Gregory the Theologian teaches us that marriage boosts strength on both sides, and sharing burdens in it reduces trouble and enhances joy. The rebirth of faith returns this country to prosperity and accord. This return acts out the words of St Theodore the Studite about the heavenly joy of Easter. He described Easter is a gift of God that must be greeted with spiritual enlightenment and piety and taken as a relief from burdens and troubles through an unchanged faith in Jesus Christ. This faith stays the same despite changes in the material environment of the faithful.
I hereby extend congratulations to all my brothers and sisters in Christ on the day of our Lord’s miraculous and grace-giving Resurrection. May the glory and shine of this event stay forever with you and bless your families, neighbours, and friends. May the blessing of our Lord descend on your souls and hearts. The greetings this day inspire pious awe and invite renewed life. They are always the same:
Christ is Risen!
He is Risen Indeed!!!
27 April 2008
Orthodox Easter
Voice of Russia World Service
http://www.ruvr.ru/main.php?lng=eng&q=26294&cid=59&p=27.04.2008 (in English)
