From Monachos.net

Christ is Risen!

O come, all ye faithful, let us worship Christ's holy Resurrection, for behold, through the Cross joy hath come to all the world ... (Paschal Matins, at 'Having beheld the Resurrection of Christ')

Joy and celebration have shone forth to the entire world. Church hymns also call out to us in these days of spiritual joy. 'This is the day which the Lord hath made, let us rejoice and be glad in it'. And the whole world, visible and invisible, rejoices and celebrates in the risen Christ.

'Let the heavens rejoice in a worthy manner and let the earth be glad, and let the whole world, visible and invisible, keep festival. For Christ our eternal joy is risen!'

As we celebrate the death of death and destruction of Hades, the Church rejoices and sings, and bids everyone to the joyful celebration of the Resurrection of Christ. It bids the angels and people, living and departed, to come together now prayerfully to hymn the most Bright Resurrection of Christ.

Who cannot but rejoice, seeing that Christ the Saviour, after the dread and lengthy sufferings which we remembered with the Holy Church during Holy Week, is risen! This miraculous event gives us a foundation for our own future resurrection, and fills us with Paschal joy.

Our Lord Jesus Christ suffered and by his passion teaches us that it is not possible to go through this earthly life without suffering, this vale of tears and woes. But after this earthly life, after all the suffering, our resurrection will come, and we will be raised up as our Saviour was risen.

Let us rejoice, brothers and sisters, and be glad, for Christ, the conqueror of Hades and death, has opened wide the doors of paradise to all those who with a pure heart have cleansed their souls of sins and transgressions, granting all of them forgiveness. This is why the Holy Church calls us to the spiritual celebration:

'Jesus having risen from the grave, as He foretold, hath given us life eternal, and great mercy.'

From my heart I greet our dear archpastors, pastors and all our God-loved flock with these great and salvific days - the Bright Resurrection of Christ.

Truly Christ is Risen! Amen.

+ Metropolitan Laurus
Pascha, 2003

Translation provided by the Blessed Saint Xenia of Petersburg Parish (ROCOR) and edited by Monachos.net.