EASTER

EASTER

«Now all is filled with light, the sky and the earth and the underworld» Canon of Easter, 3 song.

Easter – spiritual jubilation!

Easter – the beginning, the middle and the end of the world!

Easter is the other world, the heavenly world!

To be involved in this holiday is happiness,

it is a great happiness to participate in this holiday,

spiritually experience this holiday – indescribable happiness!

Etymologically, the word «Easter» is formed from the Hebrew «pesah» and literally means «to pass by», that is, to have mercy.

The Lord, striking every firstborn in the land of Egypt, passes by the Jewish houses.

Early in the morning all the Egyptians were crying, including the Pharaoh’s family, and the chosen people had joy. Everyone was healthy and full of energy.

In addition to the mercy of surviving Easter included for the Jewish people also the long-awaited freedom! They come out of captivity, which had lasted for 400 years.

Another meaning of the word is the Passover lamb. The Lord commanded every Jewish family to prepare a lamb on fire and eat it the night before Exodus from Egypt.

The blood of this lamb was anointed on the door jambs. The Lord said to Moses, where I would see the blood of the lamb on the doorpost, I would not touch this house and pass by.

The lamb and the blood were the symbols of the future which were to be revealed in proper time.

Now these symbols are revealed and we know that the true Lamb who turns away the wrath of God and saves is The Lord himself.

Therefore, the word Easter in our modern sense

is the Lord Jesus Christ and His glorious Resurrection!

And if the people of Israel rejoiced when they were set free from 400 years of slavery, how should we rejoice who were set free from eternal captivity!

Easter is freedom!

Easter – victory over death!

Easter – the return of Royal dignity to man!

Easter – return to heavenly Father’s house!

In our Church of St. John the Merciful are going festive services.

At Easter, at two Divine Liturgies, night and morning, more than 700 people received Holy Communion.

All of the Bright Week is a continuing Easter, thanksgiving and rejoicing.

After each Liturgy there will be a festive Cross Procession.

To this height we had been trekking for a year. And in a deeper sense, we go to Easter all our life. For the purpose of our life on earth is Easter, happiness and joy of being in the Divine Light, in God himself.

And this is now. This is it. This «can be touched.» The temple is glowing. The skies have come down on earth. The king’s gates, the symbol of the gates of heaven, are open!

«Come, get pleasure!» — calls us, the Holy Hierarch John Chrysostom in his speech on Easter!

The time for mourning is over. Now all is new!

Christ is Risen, dear, Christ is Risen! Christ Is Risen Indeed!