I extend my heartfelt greetings to my eminent brother Archpastors, beloved in the Lord reverend fathers, brothers, and sisters, on this most radiant of feasts, the Resurrection of Christ from the dead!
CHRIST IS RISEN!
Pascha is the only night
in the year, a night like no other, which brings down upon the earth
great heavenly joy, making it the birthright of all people who greet
and celebrate this "feast of feasts!"
Whoever rejoices at the
Resurrection of Christ palpably senses Christ Himself, and whoever
senses Christ is together with Christ, and is within Christ. This
proximity to Christ is nothing less than the sweetest goal of our
lives. And there is no question that we can attain this goal! Christ
prepares the way that we may approach Him. He is with us.
Undoubtedly, each and every one of us has experienced moments of
heartfelt communion with Him. Especially vividly, joyously, and
brightly do we feel this proximity, this beauty, this power, and
this love of God during the feast of the glorious Resurrection of
Christ. Our childlike glee over the Resurrection of the Savior can
be so powerful that it can remain vivid even into our old age. It is
up to us, then, to preserve, to strengthen, and to develop this
Paschal joy within our spiritual lives. Having partaken of this joy
of the Divine in our childhood, we have been unable ‒ out of our own
ignorance ‒ to preserve this joy, we have not kept close to its
sweetness, but instead swerved away to chase other joys and dreams.
Lifting our thoughts to
the Life-Bearing Sepulcher of the Lord and our Resurrected Christ,
we pray for the reign of this omnipotent joy in the hearts of all
the people of Ukraine, of Syria, and of our Church throughout the
world. Brothers and sisters, if we actively see this joy of Christ
and of our personal meeting with the Resurrected Christ in our inner
lives, then we shall know that being with Him is not terrifying, it
is not burdensome; all that we do for this temporal life is fleeting
and fading, but whatever we do for eternity shall remain with us
forever.
"And they said one to
another, did not our heart burn within us, while He talked with us
by the way, and while He opened to us the Scriptures?”
(Luke
24:32), said Luke and
Cleopas when the Life-Giver revealed Himself to them during the
breaking of the bread. Based on the testimony of eyewitnesses
present at the Paschal matins performed by St. John (Maximovich,
+1966), his face literally shone during the nighttime service, and
the fervor of his heart ignited everyone with the joy of the
Resurrected Christ. His face shone with faith and love as he waved
the censer with the Paschal triple candles, circling the church and
exclaiming "Christ is Risen!" Glory be to God, even today this great
hierarch of the Russian Diaspora remains incorrupt in the cathedral
in San Francisco, truly living in spirit and praying for us all. The
time has now come for us to plead for the prayers of St. John, so
that the forthcoming Council of Bishops of the Russian Church Abroad
and the 13th All-Diasporan Youth Conference may bring forth worthy
and fruitful results, for they will coincide with the celebration of
the twentieth anniversary of his canonization by the Church. On
Sunday, June 29, Hieromonk Nicholas (Olhovsky) will be consecrated
Bishop of Manhattan. On this day, the wonder-working Kursk Root Icon
of the Mother of God "of the Sign" will be present, as well.
By the prayers of our
Most-Pure Protectress and of the Holy Hierarch of Christ John, may
our Church life be well established and strengthened, as well as the
efforts of our new laborers in Christ’s Vineyard.
Truly is Christ God, our
Chief Pastor, Risen!
With Paschal joy in the Risen Christ, and asking your prayers,
+HILARION
Metropolitan of Eastern America & New York
First Hierarch of the Russian Church Abroad
First Hierarch of the Russian Church Abroad
Pascha of the Lord 2014
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