Bp. ANASTASSY (ROCOR-Vl): Vladivostok and the Far East: Paschal Epistle

“It is the Day of Resurrection! Let us be radiant, O people! Pascha! The Lord’s Pascha! For from death to life, and from earth to heaven hath Christ God has brought us, as we sing the song of victory!”

Christ is Risen!

 
On the day of the Resurrection of Christ, we rejoice and triumph, not only because it was the greatest triumph after his suffering and death on the cross, but also because the Resurrection is the key to the future of our resurrection. Celebrating the Resurrection of Christ, we at the same time and celebrate the “death of the killing, the destruction of hell, the eternal home of another life.”

Our Lord Jesus Christ by His resurrection marked the beginning of the resurrection of the dead, for “For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive” (1 Cor. 15.22). St. Paul says that as the grain sown in the ground so that it has decayed and been done a great miracle that this rotted grain would start a new life – both painful and our body of sin is put into the ground in order to perform the great miracle of God – from this corruptible body rose to the incorruptible body, the body is resurrected, immortal body. The Lord knew that difficult for us sinners, to understand the mystery of death, but even harder to understand the mystery of our resurrection. Therefore the Lord, leaving this earth itself rose from the dead and thus gave us the proof and our resurrection. The consciousness of our future resurrection fills our heart and soul ineffable joy in these Easter days.

Therefore, all our feelings and thoughts should be directed to a waiting us “unfading day of Christ’s kingdom,” to which we must strive with all my heart. With one voice and one heart we praise the Risen from the dead, the Chief of our lives, Christ our Saviour. Amen.
Truly Christ is Risen!

+ Bishop Anastasiy
Passover of the Lord 2012
, the Vladivostok