Published by Pemptousia Partnership, April 25, 2017
Protopresbyter Christos Aiyidis
Once again, the divine drama has come to an end and the Lord’s Resurrection has become the start of a new life, the unending and eternal life in Paradise, the life for which we were created. The Lord ascended the Cross and spread His arms to embrace the whole of humanity, in order to give us the opportunity and prospect of entering Paradise.
Our Risen Lord now calls upon His siblings, friends and companions. He promises that He will always, eternally, be with us. The Risen Lord’s usual forms of greeting are ‘Peace to you’ and ‘Rejoice’, two expressions which are very much to the point these days and very necessary. When our daily life is inundated with stress and turmoil and when we’re overcome with depression, the message of the Resurrection is what gives us hope and light in the suffering and innumerable difficulties of our existence.
The joy of the Resurrection is the antidote to sorrow!
The joy of the Resurrection overcomes worries and stress!
The joy of the Resurrection does away with depression!
The victory over death, the last enemy, opens up the prospect of victory over every difficulty and obstacle in life. When we know, and, above all, experience the fact that death is not the end, then everything in the world becomes relative. We’re not completely defined by our failures and disasters. Even Hades itself ceases to be a realm of darkness and becomes a land of light. There we encounter all mortals, no longer as shades but as those who are triumphant with Him Who trampled down death by death.
It’s woeful if we Christians are ignorant or unmoved when faced with the empty tomb.
If we remain attached to our petty foibles.
If we continue to be inhumane and harsh towards other people after the Resurrection.
If we go on with our joyless and drab existence, full of badness and small-mindedness, even though Christ has risen.
If we’re wrapped up in our own (supposedly) spiritual life, when we’ve been destined for the Communion of Paradise, in the company of Our Risen Lord
Even more saddening is if my own difficulties count more than His Resurrection.
If my own darkness is more powerful than the Light of His Resurrection.
If my sorrow defeats the joy of His Resurrection.
And all this because of a senseless love of self, which leads to the abuse and misuse of our freedom.
This is rather like returning our Risen Lord to our own Golgotha and making Him ascend the Cross again.
And yet, Christ has risen. Whether we realize it or not.
The Lord has risen indeed.
Source: pemptousia.com
~Orthodox Christian Network (OCN), https://myocn.net/recrucifying-risen-christ/.
***
