Pascha 2010
“That I may know Him and the power of His resurrection,
and the fellowship of His sufferings,
being conformed to His death if, by any means,
I may attain to the resurrection from the dead.”
Philippians 3:10-11
Dear brothers and sisters,
Behold the Feast of feasts and the Glory above glories, the radiant Resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ is soon upon us. And we are all in great anticipation and excitement in awaiting that most joyous day in the history of mankind.
However, that we might welcome the Resurrected Christ all the more joyously in our hearts and our homes, we need to prepare ourselves spiritually and physically through fasting, prayer, repentance and the partaking of the Holy Sacraments, that is, through a God-pleasing life. Let us make an effort so that we might spiritually experience all the sufferings of our Lord as if they were our own sufferings. Let us fulfill that promise made at the Holy Sacrament of Baptism: “Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism unto death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we should walk in newness of life” (Rom. 6:4).
This is not something which is done once but during our entire lives. We spiritually resurrect at every moment, whenever we do something virtous, and we die spiritually whenever we sin.
May God grant that we die to sin once and for all just as our Lord Jesus Christ died for us (Rom. 6:10).
And when we find ourselves in troubles, sufferings, hardships and in bitter tears, as our fellow countrymen in Kosovo and Metohija and many other Christians throughout the world, let us give ear to His words: “Why are you weeping” (John 10:15). Let us not fear for He is our Resurrection and life (John 11:25).
Once again we express our deep gratitude to all those who donated to their church and Diocese, as well as all those who were in need of the material and spiritual goods.
I wholeheartedly greet you with the joyous words which defeated, which defeat and will always defeat every sadness, sickness and sighing:
CHRIST IS RISEN!
INDEED HE IS RISEN!
+Mitrophan
BISHOP OF
EASTERN AMERICA