Paschal Epistle: Archbishop Tikhon (RTOC)

April 26, 2011 NFTU NEWS 0 Comments

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Archbishop Tikhon of Omsk and Siberia,
President of the Synod of Bishops
Russian True Orthodox Church

Christ is Risen!

This triumphant cry is heard again and again throughout the world, filling our hearts with joy! Radiant radiant night of the day has come! For verily now Christ is risen! And who can dare to estimate the greatness of this benefit – the resurrection into eternal life? With what it is like, what shall I equal?
The church brings us closer to understanding this great event – killing death. How many of vitality and confidence in the victory of eternal life! Realm of death, which ruled the entire human race, all obezsmyslivalo, because without Christ and his resurrection, people were dying, coming out of nowhere and turning into nothing but their souls descended into hell. And all of nature, alive and vibrant at first glance – was death. For anything not raised in it, and outgoing – overblown, dry, dying – goes forever into oblivion, was drawn in the dust.
But then came the Day of Resurrection! How much saving joy as fertile hope in these words – “Christ is risen! – In which we opened beatific glow in unity with our Creator. Perfect love people to Christ is already here on earth, grant him paradise in the heart.
Each day of Holy Week, we have tried to be with the Lord, to accompany him on the sorrowful way, walking to Calvary, going with him all the final preparations for the greatest goal – the redemption of men from the curse of sin and death. Surviving the mournful days of Holy Week, suffering together with Christ, as though dying with Him on Good Friday, we are immensely grieved for his sufferings and death. Suffering with Him and with the Mother of God, we have learned thus to love him, feel him beside me, mentally hear his breathing and groans, visualize His sorrowful Countenance. And the closer we become in these days of Christ, what hurt us was to see his suffering, the happier we now hear the cry of “Christ is risen!” No more fear of death, no sorrowful silence at the tomb, there is no bottomless pit of hell for Christ – only for a moment he was there – and frightened the hell lightning of divinity! Heavy rock cave could not conceal the Source of Life, the oversight of the guards could not keep him in his coffin. And today we, along with all the created mirom glad and rejoice, because the death of flour defeated Risen Christ with us after the great tragedy, after His suffering on the Cross, after that tribulation, after days of grief, we see His divine, shining brighter than the sun Face forgiving smile .
Our joy is not about himself but about Him – Risen Redeemer, of whom only yesterday we inconsolably grieved to the pain of heart, compassion in his passions – the One who became our closest neighbor.
And in this our Easter pure joy – the great Divine. His suffering, death and resurrection of Christ has opened to us the mystery of his love, the love that we learn from him all his life: when you know how painfully grieve not for myself, and others, and defeating selfishness, to tears, rejoice in someone not about himself. That is why it is so great and indescribable joy of Easter, that it – a perfectly clear, she won our selfishness, our self, taught us to rejoice in God and fellow man, lifted the veil of the love which is God.
Thus, the sundays His Christ teaches us to love, without which there can be no true evangelical unity in truth and righteousness. Divine Love – a desire for unity. From time immemorial the triune God to prove that love brings. The Gospel is permeated with love the Lord and Heavenly Father, it is incessantly telling us about the divine love: ‘: as He love me Father, and Az have loved you: will be in my love: This is my commandment, That ye love one another as He loved you: Yes Luba , eyuzhe hast loved me may be in them, and I in them. ” Holy Trinity, united by a desire to remain undivided forever in Love. Love – in the unity of God’s alter ego – this is an example for our unity, the unity of the followers of the Risen Christ.
Easter joy so unite us, love him, but no longer exist between us, artificial barriers that we erect ourselves, but all abide in unity for the sake of Him for His suffering and surpassing all joy of His resurrection! As we would like Him, loving Father, all undergone for our sake, to see their children together: love each other, help each other and all forgiving neighbors. For that He came to earth – to a paradise of human unity in love to reveal to us. Not whether we want now to respond to Him with love to His love? Not whether we want to please Him, who gave us today’s joy? Do not want to recognize and realize His purpose for us, His children?
Let us from Easter to Easter learning to love – not the sentimental love without Christ and disarming the convergence is Truth, who is trying to impose on us apostate mir and its apologists, but a genuine evangelical love and unity in Christ – to overcome our vanity and pettiness, our mistrust, that hurt so upset suffered for us. We must feel called to live by the laws of love and unity.
And let every Easter and every compassionate godfather sufferings of the Savior and empathy joy of His resurrection will cleanse our hearts more and more, will bring us closer to Christ, so also their neighbors are getting closer and closer, and may reign in our hearts to God and to welcome us Paradise is the unity of all in Christ. And then we have a pure heart and a firm confidence we cry: