Pascha: The Feast of the Resurrection of our Lord God and Saviour, Jesus Christ
Read
Acts 1:1-8; John 1:1-17
Christ is risen! Truly, He is risen!
We celebrate this most glorious and joy-filled Day of our Lord’s Resurrection every year. It is an anniversary of our Baptism in the waters of His Death and Resurrection whereby His death is our death and His resurrection is our resurrection. And like many anniversaries, we rededicate ourselves to what we are all about – the continuation of His Mission, to reconcile everything to the Father.
“All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you; and behold, I am with you always, to the close of the age.”
“…you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samar’ia and to the end of the earth.”
These words of our Lord in St. Matthew’s Gospel read at the Great Saturday Vespers-Liturgy and the words of our Lord as we read in the Acts of the Apostles make it very clear about who we are – missionaries bringing the Good News to the whole world for the salvation of the whole world.
Today, we find ourselves celebrating the Feast of Feasts in a way that is strange for most of us. We can’t get to our parish churches due to the required social distancing requirements during this time of the pandemic. While not for the same reasons, we are living in a similar situation as our ancestors in Ukraine from the 1940s to the 1990s when our Church was illegal. While they couldn’t get to their parish to celebrate the Feasts of Feasts, they did celebrate as a family unit. The joy of the Resurrection did not deter them. They celebrated every year and continued living their faith day in and day out.
We can do the same. The joy of this day is rooted in a real historical event that has changed the world. Our present circumstances cannot deter us from celebrating this day. We greet each other with uplifted voices, “Christ is risen!” and respond “Truly, He is risen!” We can do this in person with those in our household, we can do this over the phone, over video conferencing, over the fence to our neighbours. This is our chance, this is our mission, spreading the Good News that the Lord is risen defeating all death by His Death, and giving us life eternal! Let’s rededicate ourselves to spread this joy.
And, for your further reflection:
The Paschal Homily of St. John Chrysostom
If there be any devout people who love God, let them enjoy this splendid and radiant Feast. If any of them be wise servants, let them blissfully enter into the joy of their Lord. If any of them have laboured long in fasting, let them now receive their reward. If any have toiled from the first hour, let them now receive their just wage. If any came at the third hour, let them gratefully join in the Feast. If any arrived at the sixth hour, they should not be afraid, for they will not be deprived of anything. If any of them tarried even until the ninth hour, let them approach without hesitation. If any arrived only at the eleventh hour, they should not worry on account of their tardiness.
For the Master loves to grant honours and will receive the last just as the first. He gives rest to the one who came at the eleventh hour, just as He does to the one who toiled from the first hour. He shows His mercy to the last, and His care for the first. To the one He gives; on the other, He showers gifts. He accepts deeds and welcomes intentions. He honours labours and praises resolutions.
And so, let all enter into the joy of their Lord, and let the first as well as the last receive the reward. Let the rich and the poor celebrate together. Let the resourceful and the slothful honour this Day. Let those who fasted and those who did not fast be glad today. The Table is bountifully set; let all be satisfied. The Calf is fattened; let no one go away hungry. Let everyone enjoy the Cup of Faith. Let everyone receive the richness of Grace.
Let none grieve at their poverty, for the Kingdom that belongs to all people has been revealed. Let none weep for their sins, for forgiveness shines forth from the Tomb. Let no one fear Death, for the Saviour’s death has set us free.
The One Whom Death imprisoned has extinguished Death. The One Who descended into Hades made Hades the captive. He caused it distress when it tasted His Flesh. When Isaiah foresaw this, he exclaimed: “Hades was all distressed by encountering You in the nether world.” It was distressed because it was abolished. It was distressed because it was mocked. It was distressed because it was slain. It was distressed because it was overthrown. It was distressed because it was chained. It seized a Body but discovered God. It seized the Earthly but encountered the Heavenly. It seized the Visible but was overcome by the Invisible. O Death, where is your sting! O Hades, where is your victory!
Christ is risen, and you are abolished!
Christ is risen, and the demons are cast down!
Christ is risen, and the angels rejoice!
Christ is risen, and Life now reigns!
Christ is risen, and the Tomb is emptied of the dead!
For in rising from the dead, Christ became the First-Fruits of those who have fallen asleep. To Him be glory and power for ever and ever! Amen.