4th Sunday of Pascha - The Paralytic

Fourth Sunday of Pascha
The Sunday of the Paralytic

Anonymous Origin

In the name of the Father, Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Christ is Risen! Truly He is Risen!

Today is the Sunday of the paralytic, in which we hear the story of a man who'd been ill for thirty-eight years and was finally healed. We have much to learn from this story. Now, the reason why it's said now, or part of the reason, is because, as the services said last night, at "mid-feast", Jesus visited this paralytic. It's almost mid-feast now, it is almost mid-Pentecost. Pentecost is a feast of 50 days, and we're in that period awaiting Pentecost. And the Jews celebrated Pentecost also; they didn't understand the same meaning as we do, it changed, but they had a 50-day feast. So Jesus came about towards the middle of that feast - mid-Pentecost - and saw this man by the pool of Siloam, with five porches there.

We can learn many things from this short story. Certainly we can learn something about patience, endurance, not complaining about what is our lot in life, what's wrong with our life, what's going on that we don't like. We complain constantly and incessantly, and our complaining is a stench that rises up to God. Because when you complain, you're showing a lack of faith, a lack of obedience, a lack of love - indeed, a lack of understanding of who the God-man Jesus Christ is. Who of all among us, if anyone, could complain and feel justified - our Lord is the only one. But of course He understood what his task was and He took it joyfully, and with obedience, in order to save us by living on the earth, showing us the way, teaching us and then backing up what He said with His actions and his resurrection from the dead after His crucifixion. Indeed, we can learn a lot about patience by seeing this man; he wasn't complaining, and he was there for 38 years.

We can also learn something about Who it is who can cure, and what it is that He really cures. Whether a man is halt, whether a man is withered, lame, blind, or whatever infirmity a man has, it is small compared to the infirmity of the soul. Jesus healed this man not just of his infirmity of being palsied, but of the infirmity of his soul. How do we know this? Because later on we see after he was healed and the man was in the temple - which is a good sign, he was thanking God - Jesus explained some things to Him. Now listen carefully! In our society we don't like to hear this, in our society this is somehow not allowed, people don't like to admit this, they almost think you're crazy or reactionary to make the connection with sin that our Savior did when He said, 'Thou art made whole, sin no more, lest a worse thing befall thee." Now the fathers understand - and if you just know English you can understand - that he's making a reference to his palsy, his being a paralytic was in some measure caused by his sins.

This is not always the case. In fact, one time Christ was asked, "was it because of the sins of his parents or himself that this man was born without eyes, blind?" Christ said neither one; if was that the glory of God might be made manifest. It's not always because of sins that a person suffers some affliction, but most of the time it is because of sins. Either because sin causes the affliction - smoking, drinking alcohol to abuse, drugs, promiscuity, there's a long litany of things, diseases, that are caused by our own stupidity, by our wanton abuses. You can see fractured families because people don't deal with their anger, or their lust, or their impatience, or their selfishness; sin causes many problems such as that in a direct way. But in an indirect way sin causes many other afflictions, because we're so thickheaded we don't see God. We don't see God in the good things, and we take advantage of those good things and fall into depravity.

So God, in His wisdom, in His love, in His mercy, chastises us in order so that we might cleave unto Him. It's the same principle with parents and their children; sometimes you must punish a child to help turn him to the right way, sometimes you must let a child suffer grievously in order to let him turn to the right way. If someone has a child that, let's say, gets involved in extremely dangerous and illicit behaviors and goes to jail, sometimes it's best not to bail the child out. God does the same thing with us. Our sins cause our suffering.

This society doesn't like to say that - "oh, how can you say this?" It does happen, to all of us. So if you have any situation in your life you're not pleased with - whether it's a physical infirmity, whether it's a relationship, whether it's job, or neighborhood, or family or whatever it is, "Physician, heal thyself. " Look the in mirror; look in the mirror of the soul. What's wrong with you? What's causing it? As I said before, it's possible that such things could be caused not through your sins at all, but because of something else. But for the most part, our sins cause our sufferings. And yet we complain, and we complain and we complain. But we always complain about that person and that person, but never ourselves. That's the person you need to complain about. Complain, ask God to help you with your sins, with that which fills you with evil.

I was reading from a wonderful sermon by Bishop Nicholaj Velimirovich, and he said "A Christian should expect to suffer." How about that for politically incorrect speaking! He expects to suffer, and he is surprised and glad and rejoices when he does not suffer. He expects to suffer because of his sins, just as you, if you were subject to a king and had killed the king's deer, you expect that the king is going to have you executed. You're not going to complain about that, you're going to be sorry and ask for forgiveness to the king. And if the king gives you forgiveness - but you know, he'll say Don't kill any more of my deer, but I forgive you this time - then you'll rejoice. Now we can do this with an earthly king, but with our Heavenly Father we don't do this.

We seem to think we're owed so much. We breathe it in the very air, it's so polluted with Western ideas that pollute us. "We're owed something." We're not owed anything in terms of your lot in life. Much of your lot in life is affected by God's providence. All of it actually, but some of it caused by God, and some of it allowed by God depending on your own ingenuity and your own abilities. But it all goes away in a vapor, how you lived, what you've done in this world. What matters is how your soul has developed, and if you're made whole.

I see that there are three things in this story that really jump out at me. Now you know that the water represents baptism, and that the person who was put in the water was made whole. Notice how it is says "made whole"; not just their infirmity was healed, but they were made whole. But only one person, at one time in the season.

Christianity is to make one whole. Baptism is for all men, not just for one man, at one time in the season. And the man said to Christ, when Christ said, "wilt thou be made whole?" he said, 'I have nobody to help me." And he was looking at the Man who would help him; he was looking at the God-man who would help him, and he didn't know who He was yet. Christ asks us this question continually. "Wilt thou be made whole?" And for the most part we answer him with a resounding "No." For the most part we answer Him that way.

To some extent we've answered "yes"; we've come to the waters of baptism, we make an effort to fast, to come to the services - sometimes, unfortunately, a very poor effort to come to the services and I must mention that again. Don't lose your zeal; some of you are in very great danger of losing your zeal. But we make our small efforts, so yes indeed we say, to some extent, "Yes, I want to be made whole, O Lord!" But for the most part we say, "No, I don't want to give up what I'm doing; I don't want to give up the sweetness of sin, or the sweetness of complaining, or the sweetness of excuses." They're so sweet, aren't they? But they cover up bitter, bitter poison.

So we must answer this question completely and totally, "Yes, I want to be made whole! I want to be cleansed of all my sins, and I don't blame Thee, the Lord, nor my friends, nor my family, nor anyone else for my sins and for my afflictions; they are mine and mine alone, and they are my fault. But Thou canst heal it; Thou art the man that can bring me into the water and can refresh me."

He is the one. We don't fully recognize that, either - oh, we believe it with our minds, with our lips, but if we really believed it we'd make much greater effort in living the Christian life. And another things that jumps out at me: when Christ said "behold, thou art made whole; sin no more." Christianity is a constant process of becoming whole, but it involved two free wills - God's, who is perfectly free, and we, who should be free but have enslaved ourselves to the passions and lusts and corruptible things. But we were made to be free. It was our purpose. God made us to have perfect freedom. You know the Gospel of John (chapter 10, verse 9) where it says "he will go in and out and find pasture"? The sheep, being able to go in and out, go wherever they wish, perfect freedom, but freedom in godliness, freedom in purity, freedom in perfection. This is the purpose of our life - perfect freedom! So we have to answer Christ, when He asks us the question "wilt thou be made whole?", "Yes!" And any portion which answers "no" we must confess with bitter tears.

Stop making excuses for yourself. Don't make excuses for not being able to say your prayers, for not being able to come to church, for not being able to come to confession, for not doing this, for not doing that, for this reason, for that reason, for why you do this and why you do that. You know it's all a lie. I know it is a lie in my own life, so I strive to be honest concerning these things also. It's a lie. And every time you make an excuse, you are saying "NO." You're saying "I don't want to be made whole. I like laying in the gutter, I like laying in filth. I like wallowing in my sins."

Don't allow yourself to do this. That's why the church has an order. This order is not rules and regulations, it is for our benefit. That's why I must speak of it over and over, and especially during this season, because during this season is the most likely time for a person to fall away. Part of that is because God has given us such great grace on Pascha, and we hardly accepted it; we accepted a few things, we accepted some of the sweet meats, but we didn't accept and take into ourselves the resurrection. We couldn't bear it and so, because of unthankfulness, we're starting to fall away. I don't really know anybody who is honest who doesn't say that this happens to them during the Paschal season. It happens to me, but I struggle against it.

So I beseech you, my brothers and sisters, struggle against this; don't make excuses, don't let your life be in the way of eternal life. Don't let your temporal life impair you, don't make excuses, don't say NO. If you understood what Christ is saying, and says, when He says "wilt thou be made whole?", you'd be begging me to serve daily Liturgies. You'd be begging me, because you wouldn't want to go away from the temple, if you knew what wholeness really is. So taste God more and more, and as you taste more and more of God, you won't want to taste depravity.

But if you don't continue to taste of Him, and to "mount up like eagles" as it says in the Scriptures, to struggle, then it'll be a gradual slide. It might not be anything you notice, it might not be anything I notice - and I tell you what, I keep my eyes peeled because, although I'm unworthy, I'm called to be a shepherd here, so I watch and I worry and I wait and I pray. But you know, in the long run, I'm not responsible for your salvation. To some degree I might have to answer if my own sins have caused you to falter, but you are all responsible for your own salvation. In the context of living the Christian life in community and in obedience, you are responsible.

Think a little about what it means to be whole. Which do you prefer - the inconstancy, the depravity, the weakness, the infirmity of this life, or wholeness, completeness, perfection and freedom? You and I are paralytics to some degree, sometimes to a great degree, and tragically this is usually of our own making. So when Christ asks you - and He's asking you today, He asks you every moment of your life - "Wilt thou be made whole?" You MUST struggle to say "YES" and then you MUST back up your promise with action, with effort, with desire. Then indeed, you will be made whole.

God help you!

3ed Sunday of Pascha - The Myrrhbrarers

Homily on the 3ed Sunday of Pascha
Also known as
The Sunday of the Myrrhbearers

Delivered in the year
A.D.1351
by
St Gregory Palamas

The resurrection of the Lord is the renewal of human nature. It is a new life and a new creation, and the return to the immortal life of the first Adam, who through sin swallowed death, and through death returned to the earth from which he was made.

Just as in the beginning, there was no one else to see Adam being made and receiving life, and later the first person to see him was a woman, likewise when the second Adam, who is the Lord, was rising from the dead, no man saw Him. For no one of His own was present, and the soldiers who guarded the tomb "had become as dead." But after the resurrection, the first person who saw Him was a woman, as we heard in Mark's gospel reading: "Now when Jesus was risen in the morning of the first day of the week, He appeared first to Mary Magdalene." (Mark 16:9)

Clearly, it would appear therefore that the Evangelist stated both the time of Christ's resurrection, that is, the morning, and that He appeared first to Mary Magdalene and at precisely the time of His arising. But that is not what it really says, as will be evident when we study the matter a little more closely, because the Evangelist previously said, in agreement with the other Evangelists, that this woman named Mary came to the tomb earlier, "very early in the morning" (v 16:2), with the other myrrhbearing women. And when they found the tomb empty they departed.

Therefore, the Lord had risen much earlier in the morning before she saw Him. In noting the hour, Mark did not simply say "morning," but "very early in the morning," that is to say, when the dim light across the horizon precedes the rising of the sun. And John refers to this when he says that, in the morning while "it was still dark," Mary Magdalene came to the tomb and found that the stone had been removed from it. (John 20:1)

According to John, she did not come to the tomb at that time only, for she also left the tomb without seeing Him. So she runs to Peter and John and announces not that the Lord is risen, but that He has been taken from the tomb. Therefore, she did not yet know about the resurrection. So the Lord appeared to Mary [Magdalene] not merely in the morning, but in the full light of day.

Now, there is something mentioned by the Evangelists in a very shadowy way and I will reveal it to you. Indeed the good news of the Lord's resurrection, as is proper and fitting, was received from Him first by the Theotokos, prior to all other men. Also prior to all others, she saw Him and delighted in His divine speaking. And she not only saw Him with her own eyes and heard Him with her own ears, but she alone first touched His sacred feet with her own hands.

However, the Evangelists do not say these things openly, because they did not wish to present the testimony of His Mother so they would not be giving unbelievers an excuse for suspicion. But now, through the grace of Him who is risen, we can explain it to the faithful. And the meaning of this feast urgently requires that we clarify some things about the Myrrhbearers, for the reason given by Him Who said, "For nothing is secret that shall not be made manifest." (Luke 8:17)

So, the Myrrhbearers are the women who, with His Mother, followed the Lord, and remained with her during the time of the saving passion, and sought to anoint the body of the Lord. When a great stone was placed upon the entrance to the tomb, according to the Evangelist Mark, sitting and watching from across the way were Mary Magdalene and "the other Mary." By saying "the other Mary," he was most certainly alluding to the Mother of God because she was called "the mother of James and Joses," who were sons of Joseph the Betrothed. But they were not the only women who were watching the burial of the Lord, for there were others also, as Luke records, "And the women also, who came with Him from Galilee, followed after, and beheld the tomb and the placing of the body in it...It was Mary Magdalene, and Joanna, and Mary the mother of James, and other women." (Luke 23:55; 24:10)

They returned, as it says, and bought perfumes and ointments, because they did not fully understand that He is the very Fragrance of Life to those who come unto Him in faith, just as the smell of death, on the other hand, envelops those who remain in unbelief unto the end. And the fragrance of His garments, in other words, His own body, is superior to all perfumes. And His name means "myrrh poured forth," [see note below] through which the whole universe has been filled with divine fragrance. But they prepared the perfumes and ointments on the one hand, in order to honor the deceased, and, on the other hand, as a relief from the stench of a corpse when it is decomposing.

Although they prepared the ointments and perfumes, they rested on Saturday according to the commandment because they had not yet comprehended the true Sabbaths or correctly perceived that very day to be the super-blessed Sabbath that transfers their nature from the depths of Hades to the all-illuminated and divine and heavenly heights.

"Upon the first day of the week, very early in the morning," says Luke, "they came unto the tomb, bringing the perfumes which they had prepared." (24:1) And Matthew says, "At the end of the Sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week," two women came. (28:1) And John says one woman, Mary Magdalene, "came early, when it was yet dark." (20:1) But Mark says three women came "very early in the morning of the first day of the week." (16:2)

It appears, of course, that the Evangelists disagree among them- selves regarding the hour as well as the number of women because, as I said, there were many Myrrhbearing women. And they came in groups to the tomb, not only once but two and three times, and not always the same ones, and all came during the morning but not exactly the same time.

Mary Magdalene, for example, returned again alone and stayed longer. So each Evangelist mentions one visit of a few and omits the others. I surmise and gather from all the Evangelists, therefore, that the Theotokos was the first person to come to the tomb of the Son of God, accompanied by Mary Magdalene. I conclude this mainly from the Evangelist Matthew, because he says, "...Mary Magdalene came and the other Mary" (28:1). who was most certainly the Mother of God, to see the tomb. "And behold there was a great earthquake, for the angel of the Lord descended from heaven and rolled back the stone from the entrance, and sat upon it. His countenance was like lightening, and his raiment white as snow. And for fear of him, the keepers trembled and became as dead." (v.2-8)

All the other women, therefore, came after the earthquake and after the guards fled, and found the tomb open and the stone moved away. But the Mother of God arrived at the moment the earthquake was happening, the stone was being moved and the tomb was opened. The guards, although very shaken, were still present, and after the quake they rose up seeking to flee. But the Mother of God rejoiced beholding this scene. It seems to me that the life-bearing tomb was opened first of all for her, because through her all things were opened to us, all that is above in heaven and below on earth; and for her the angel so shone that, despite the darkness of the hour, she was able to see by the fullness of the angel's light not only the empty tomb but also the grave clothes neatly put aside and testifying to the resurrection of Him Who had been entombed.

Obviously, the evangelizing angel was Gabriel himself, because the moment he saw her rushing to the tomb, he, who in the beginning had said to her, "Fear not, Mary, for thou hast found favor with God" (Luke 1:30), hastens now and descends to tell the Ever-virgin the same thing again and to announce the resurrection from the dead of Him Who without seed was born from her, and to lift the stone and display the empty tomb and the grave clothes in order to confirm the good news.

The angel replied to the women, "Fear not. You seek Jesus Who was crucified? He is risen; behold the place where the Lord lay." He says, "Although you behold the guards shaking with fear, you must not fear. I know you seek Jesus Who was crucified. He is risen, He is not here. Because He is not only uncontainable by Hades and death and the locks and bars and seals of the tomb, He is also the Lord of our immortal and heavenly angels, and He alone is the Lord of the universe. Behold," he says, "where the Lord lay. And go quickly, and tell His disciples that He is risen from the dead."

And they departed "with fear and great joy." Again, I believe that Mary Magdalene and the other women who were with her up to this point still had fear, because they did not comprehend the significance of the angel's words. Nor were they able to fully perceive the light in order to see and understand correctly. But the Mother of God, on the other hand, who was altogether pure and filled with grace, received great joy because she fully understood the angel's words and was wholly taken into the light. Because of these things she was able to know the truth and to trust in the archangel, and because many years earlier he appeared to her and by his words proved himself trustworthy.

Besides, since the godly wise Virgin was present at all these occurrences, would she not have understood what was happening? That is to say, she saw the earthquake, she saw an angel, and a great one at that, descending from heaven like a bolt of lightening; she saw the guards becoming "dead;" and she saw the moving of the stone, the emptiness of the tomb, and the miracle of the grave clothes [see note below] that were not unwound but remained intact, held together by the myrrh and aloe, and looking like the hollow shape of the body. Moreover, she received the joyous sight and announcement of the angel. After this announcement and their own departure, it was as if Mary Magdalene had not heard the angel at all, for she attested only to the empty tomb and made no mention of the grave clothes and ran to Simon Peter and the other disciple, as John says.

Joseph of Arimathaea removed Christ's body from the Cross and "Nicodemus came with a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about one- hundred pounds...They wound the body in othonia [soaked] with the spices..." (John 19:39-40) It is known that, after several hours, this mixture becomes fairly hard, as would the cloth strips, of course. In addition, the hardening mixture would cement the strips together and to the body. So by the third day, the winding cloths and the one hundred pounds of the mixture would form a rather solid shell that not only conformed to the body of the Lord, but was cemented to it as well.

When St Peter and St John entered the empty tomb they found the "othonia" completely intact, as St Gregory Palamas, St John Chrysostom, and other Fathers tell us. The cloth strips were not unwound or disturbed in any way. Indeed, the risen Saviour's glorified Body had passed through this cloth shell, just as, in His birth, He passed through the birth canal of His Mother, and as He passed out of the closed tomb before the stone was moved, and as He passed through the locked door where the disciples were hiding - in each instance - without disturbing the "seals." The face cloth or sudarium was also found neatly folded and put aside.

The Mother of God, however, was returning again accompanied by other women, and behold, "Jesus met them, saying, Hail." (Matthew 28:9) Do you see that the Mother of God saw Him even before Mary Magdalene did? "And they approached and grasped His feet and worshipped Him." (28:9) When the Theotokos, with Mary Magdalene, had heard the good news of the resurrection from the angel, she alone understood the meaning of the words.

Likewise, with the other women, when she met her Son and God, she was the first to see and recognize the Risen One, and fell down and grasped His feet and became His apostle to the Apostles. The fact that Mary Magdalene was not with the Mother of God when the Lord appeared and spoke to her is taught by John, because he says of her. "Then she runneth, and cometh to Simon Peter and the other disciple, whom Jesus loved, and saith unto them, They have taken away the Lord from the tomb, and we know not where they have laid Him." (20:2)

If she had seen Him and touched Him with her hands and heard Him speak, could she say that "they have taken Him away and we know not where?" However, after Peter and John visited the tomb and saw the grave clothes, and departed, "Mary stood before the tomb weeping." (20:11) Do you see that not only had she not yet seen Him, rather she had not even heard anything about Him. And when the angels appeared in the tomb and asked her, "Woman, why weepest thou" (20:13), she spoke again as if about a dead man. And as she turned and saw Jesus, even then she did not comprehend.

And when He asked her why she was weeping, she replies in the same way until He addresses her by her name and shows Himself to be alive. So then she too fell down wishing to kiss His feet but heard, "Touch Me not." We learn from this that when He previously appeared to His Mother and the women who were with her, He permitted her alone to touch His feet, even though Matthew presents this act as something all the women did, not wishing, as we said, to bring the Lord's Mother into question.

Since the Ever-virgin Mary was first to receive the message regarding the resurrection, many women then returned with her, and they saw the stone that was moved away and they heard the angels. With that sound and sight they left and went their separate ways. Some of them, Mark says, "fled from the tomb, for trembling and fear had seized them. Neither said they any- thing to any man for they were afraid." (16:8) Others followed the Mother of the Lord and they were able to see and hear the Master.

Mary Magdalene, on the other hand, went to Peter and John and returned with them to the tomb where she remained alone after they departed, and was blessed to see the Master. And she too is sent to the Apostles, and she comes to announce to all of them, as John says, "that she had seen the Lord, and that He had spoken these things unto her." (20:18) Mark says that this took place in the morning, that is, in full daylight, certainly after dawn, but not that this is the time that the resurrection took place or His first appearance.

Now we have ascertained all the events with regard to the Myrrh- bearers, and we have reconciled the four Evangelists. But the disciples did not believe, even though on the very day of the resurrection they learned from the Myrrhbearers and Peter, and from Luke and Cleopas that the Lord was alive and had been seen by them. That is why they were disturbed by Him when He appeared later where they were gathered. But later, when He showed them many times in many ways that He was alive, they not only believed, but proclaimed it everywhere.

"Their sound hath gone forth into all the earth, and their words unto the ends of the world" (Ps.18:4) and "the Lord [is] working with them and confirming the word with signs" (Mark 16:20), because the miracles were absolutely necessary until such time as the word would be preached throughout the world. For it is needful to have signs and great wonders in representation and confirmation of the truth of the preaching.

For signs are needed, though not great ones, for contemplation by those who have received the word, if they have believed, of course. And which signs? Those that come from works.

It is said, "Show me thy faith by thy works," and "Let him who has faith show his works by his manner of living." Can you believe that someone truly has a divine mind, a great and lofty mind -- one might even say heavenly, which is what goodness is -- if that person is given over to foul deeds and is attached to the earth and earthly things?

Let us present a manner of living that is appropriate to faith, that we may enter into the bridal chamber of incorruptible joy and live there eternally with the saints, in the abode of all who rejoice. Amen.

The Eighth Day of the Week! Anti-Pascha is Not Food!

The Eighth Day of the Week
Anti-Pascha or Thomas Sunday

The name of today’s Sunday “Anti-Pascha” sounds a little strange. It sounds as though something were opposed to Pascha. It is also called “The Second Sunday of Pascha” – as though there had been a Sunday in between. Very strange indeed! What is going on?

The eighth day after Pascha as the ending of the celebration of Bright Week was a special celebration since ancient times, as if it replaced the very same Day of Pascha and was called Anti-Pascha and means instead of Pascha. From this day the cycle of Sundays and weeks of the entire year begins. On this day the commemoration of the resurrection of Christ is updated for the first time. This Sunday of the Anti-Pascha was called the New Sunday, i.e. the first day of renewal or simply renewal. The more proper name is the real day, the eighth day after Pascha, that on this eighth day the Lord Himself willed the renewal of the joy of His resurrection with a new appearance to the Holy Apostles. In a way we have entered into another state of being, another experience of time which is more than linear. We do not celebrate the Lord’s life, and the life of His Church simply as historical dates, things of the past. We celebrate them as though we were participating in a contemporary reality. For indeed the Risen Christ is among us! He has walked through the doors we locked and invites the doubter to touch His wounds and be no longer unbelieving but believing.

We recall the agony of Thomas. He had not been with the other disciples when the Lord appeared to them last Sunday. Something had prevented him. For a week, while the other disciples rejoiced in their experience of having been with the Risen Lord, Thomas had known pain and sadness because he could not share in their joy. Not because he did not want to! Oh no, he loved the Lord! He had even said when Jesus had shown Himself determined to go to Jerusalem even though the disciples warned Him that His life would be in danger there: “Let us go up and die with Him”. Thomas was convinced that the other disciples were in illusion. His conviction made him very sad indeed, but he was not going to settle for an easy “believism”. He simply could not.

Then on the next Sunday (the Sunday opposite to Pascha – further down the trail of time) his special miracle arrives. This time he is present when the beloved Guest enters – through the locked doors! And that Guest is not angry with him for doubting. No! He graciously removes and heals, his doubt with the words: “Be no longer unbelieving, but believe!” He does indeed offer to let Thomas touch His wounds, as Thomas had said his doubt required, but the Gospel account does not say that Thomas does so. Instead in relief, in joy, in faith he cries out: “My Lord and my God!”

Thomas’ week of crucifixion by doubt has brought him – and the community of believers with him – further than anyone had dreamed possible: a door has opened to a marvelous insight which the Church embraces for all time! It is as though time has indeed been telescoped, as by some sort of warp (a faith warp if you will) and we see that the Risen One is not only our Beloved Teacher and Friend Who has been wonderfully and unexpectedly restored to us. He is more! He is the Almighty Himself manifest irrevocably as one of us – God and Human in Him are one and the same!

It is strange and unsettling – and also wonderful!!! How could it be that the One Who made Heaven and earth, Who sustains it and rules over it, could have gone through such pain, could be so very present to us? How could we, full of doubt, ignorance and sinful thoughts and habits, as we are, survive such a meeting? Why are we not consumed as other sinners have been when they encountered the Living Lord? Why is His presence joy and gladness to us instead of pain and punishment?

It is because we have found at last that what we had heard and hardly dared to believe is indeed TRUE: His attitude towards us is not one of anger and indignation – He LOVES us! He has united physically with us. He has united us to Him. Having passed through the portals of death into Life Eternal, He brings us and all humanity with Him!

Thank you, Thomas! Thank you for not settling for easy “believism”! Thank you for the faith in your doubt! Now we, too, can be among the blessed who have not seen, yet believe. We, too, can come to terms with our doubts – not denying them, but facing them – confident that we are not rejected, not shut out because of them.

“Anti-Pascha” turns out to be Pascha again, only more so. It is the Second Sunday of Pascha, not the First Sunday after Pascha. There is no Sunday after Pascha! Every Sunday is now Pascha for us! The Day, the eternal Day of the Resurrection. Christ is risen and the demons are fallen….. Let us joyfully cry out with Thomas, our brother: “My Lord and my God!”

CHRIST IS RISEN!

CHRIST IS RISEN!!!


The Paschal Sermon of Saint John Chrysostom

Archbishop of Constantinople - A.D. 347 - 407

Traditionally read during the midnight celebration
of the Resurrection of Our Lord, God and Saviour
Jesus Christ
The Holy Pascha (Passover) of the Lord

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If any man be devout and loveth God,
Let him enjoy this fair and radiant triumphal feast!
If any man be a wise servant,
Let him rejoicing enter into the joy of his Lord.

If any have laboured long in fasting,
Let him how receive his recompense.
If any have wrought from the first hour,
Let him today receive his just reward.
If any have come at the third hour,
Let him with thankfulness keep the feast.
If any have arrived at the sixth hour,
Let him have no misgivings;
Because he shall in nowise be deprived therefore.
If any have delayed until the ninth hour,
Let him draw near, fearing nothing.
And if any have tarried even until the eleventh hour,
Let him, also, be not alarmed at his tardiness.


For the Lord, who is jealous of his honour,
Will accept the last even as the first.
He giveth rest unto him who cometh at the eleventh hour,
Even as unto him who hath wrought from the first hour.
And He showeth mercy upon the last,
And careth for the first;
And to the one He giveth,
And upon the other He bestoweth gifts.
And He both accepteth the deeds,
And welcometh the intention,
And honoureth the acts and praises the offering.

Wherefore, enter ye all into the joy of your Lord;
Receive your reward,
Both the first, and likewise the second.
You rich and poor together, hold high festival!
You sober and you heedless, honour the day!
Rejoice today, both you who have fasted
And you who have disregarded the fast.
The table is full-laden; feast ye all sumptuously.
The calf is fatted; let no one go hungry away.
Enjoy ye all the feast of faith:
Receive ye all the riches of loving-kindness.

Let no one bewail his poverty,
For the universal Kingdom has been revealed.
Let no one weep for his iniquities,
For pardon has shown forth from the grave.
Let no one fear death,
For the Saviour's death has set us free.
He that was held prisoner of it has annihilated it.


By descending into Hell, He made Hell captive.
He embittered it when it tasted of His flesh.
And Isaiah, foretelling this, did cry:
Hell, said he, was embittered
When it encountered Thee in the lower regions.

It was embittered, for it was abolished.
It was embittered, for it was mocked.
It was embittered, for it was slain.
It was embittered, for it was overthrown.
It was embittered, for it was fettered in chains.
It took a body, and met God face to face.
It took earth, and encountered Heaven.
It took that which was seen, and fell upon the unseen.

O Death, where is thy sting?
O Hell, where is thy victory?


Christ is risen, and thou art overthrown!
Christ is risen, and the demons are fallen!
Christ is risen, and the angels rejoice!
Christ is risen, and life reigns!
Christ is risen, and not one dead remains in the grave.
For Christ, being risen from the dead,
Is become the first-fruits of those who have fallen asleep.

To Him be glory and dominion
Unto ages of ages.

Amen.

Who is Saint John Chrysostom?

St. John “Chrysostom” which translated means “The Golden Mouthed”, was born at Antioch in the year 347 into the family of a military-commander, spent his early years studying under the finest philosophers and rhetoricians and was ordained a deacon in the year 381 by the bishop of Antioch Saint Meletios. In 386 St. John was ordained a presbyter by the bishop of Antioch, Flavian.

Over time, his fame as a holy preacher grew, and in the year 397 with the demise of Archbishop Nektarios of Constantinople - successor to Sainted Gregory the Theologian - Saint John Chrysostom was summoned from Antioch for to be the new Archbishop of Constantinople.

The saintly hierarch denounced the dissolute morals of people in the capital, especially at the imperial court, irrespective of person. The empress Eudoxia was not beyond his rebuke. Thus,
he was exiled in 404 and after a long illness because of the exile, he was transferred to Pitius on the Black Sea in Abkhazia. Worn out by sickness, the saint began his final journey under military
escort, traveling for three months in the rain and frost. He never arrived at his place of exile, for his strength failed him at Comana. There he received the Holy Eucharist, and said, "Glory to God for all things!" Thus, he fell asleep in the Lord on September 14, 407.

Concerning the exclamation:

CHRIST IS RISEN!
TRULY (IN TRUTH) HE IS RISEN!

The Paschal greeting is a custom among Orthodox Christians, consisting of a greeting and response. Instead of "hello" or its equivalent, one is to greet another person with "Christ is Risen!" The response is "Indeed, He is Risen!" (or "Truly, He is risen!"). This greeting is used during liturgical services and informally at other times, starting with the feast of Pascha and lasting until Ascension, the period known as Paschaltide.

In practice, this custom is usually restricted in use with people that one already knows are Orthodox. In some cultures (e.g., in Russia), it was also customary to exchange a triple kiss after the greeting. It is not uncommon for Orthodox Christians to compile lists of the greeting
as it is used around the world, as an act of Orthodox unity across languages and cultures.

Below there follows such a list. There are over 250 Languages here. On the left is the name of the Language and on the right is the transliteration and enunciation of both

Christ is Risen ; Truly He is Risen

Exapostilarion of the Resurrection - Tone 3
Having slept in the flesh as a mortal, O King and Lord, Thou didst rise on the
third day. Thou didst raise up Adam from corruption and abolish death,
O Passover of incorruption, Salvation of the world!

CHRIST IS RISEN! - IN TRUTH HE IS RISEN!

Abenaki... Ksgmmena Sazos kizi bijiba ; ahalatta kizi wd' ijiba.

Acoli... Yéssou ocer ;Yéssou adada ocer.

Adangme... Christo tési ; ankwale Christo tési

Afar... Yaassous younouweh ; noummah younouweh.

Afrikaans... Christus het opgestaan ; hy het waarlik opgestaan.

Agni... Christ fi éwié nou fitéli ; sakpa ô fi éwié nou fitéli.

Akuapim... Kristo enyam ; yew nokware se wenyam.

Albanian... Krishti u ngjall ; vërtet u ngjall.

Aleut... Xris-Tuu-Sax Agla-Gi-Kux ; Aga-ngu-lakan Agla-Gi-Kux.

Algonquin... Christos ki apitcipa ; tebwe ki witamonom, (Christos) ki apitcipa.

Alsacian... Chrischtüs isch uferstànde ; wohrhàftig isch er uferstànde.

Alutiq... Ggristussaq Ungwirtuq ; Pi-Jii-nuq Ungwirtuq.

American Street... Yo Christ backaliveagain Ya Heback livin.

Amharic... Christos tenestwal ; ewnetem tenestwal.

Anglo-Saxon... Crist aras ; Crist sodhlice aras.

Arabic... Al'Masiah qam ; haqqan qam.

Arabic Juba... Yesuua gumu mini mutu ; huwa gumu hagiga.

Aramaic... Mchiha aka ; Aminjjate aka.

Armenian... Christos haryav i mérélotz ; orhnyal é haroutiounen Christossi

Aromanian... Hristolu unghia ; daleehira unghia.

Assamese... Khristo jee uthi hosakoi ; tyo jee uthilay.

Atikamekw... Ki apatcipaw Kristos ; tapwe, ki apatcipaw.

Attié... Christ otchôdjoula gninfon ; nan-houènin o gninfon.

Aymara... Cristu ja jakatatanjewa ; chekapuniwa jakatatanjewa.

Azerbaijani... Isa peygmbr yenid n dirildi ; bu bir hqiq tdir, o yenidvn dirildi.

Baluchi... Khudaae naaib padaa zindag biitaa ; be shak aa padaa zindag biitaa.

Bambara... Krista welila kabô siuw tchela ; thcièna ôkera.

Bamileke... Yeso Christo yam ; kwa'anene eh yam.

Baoulé... Christ fitéli vié nou ; sakpa ô fitéli nou.

Bari... Yesu a ngan i twan ; lopeng a ngan ?diri.

Basque... Piztu da Kristo ; egiaz piztu da.

Bassa... Yésus nimbalé ; ï nimbale, nimbalé.

Batak... Tuhan nunga hehe ; tutu do ibana hae hae.

Bengali... Crysto punuthito hoylo ; shotto è punuthito.

Berber... Lmasih yahye-d ger lmeytin ; stidet, yahye-d ger lmeytin.

Beti... Christ è glôgbeux ; dèdèdèdè ô glôgbeux.

Belarusian... Khrystos uvaskros ; saprawdy uvaskros.

Burmese... Phàya khin in in thá my n Pyi ; ho a P ' i in thá my n Pyi.

Boharic... Pikhirstof aftonf ; khen o methmi aftonf.

Bulu... Yésus Nkoté a wômoya ; bebela emiene a ne nwomane.

Breton... Savet eo ar C'hrist a varo da veo ; e gwirionez eo savet a varo da veo.

Bulgarian... Christos voskrese ; voistinou voskrese.

Bwamou... Krista vera ; la tuan a vera.

Cantonese... Gaydolk folkwoot leew ; tchan tek, ta folkwoot leew.

Carolinian... Lios a melau sefal ; ewar, a melau sefal.

Catalan... Crist ha ressuscitat ; en veritat ha ressuscitat.

Cebuano... Si Kristo nabanhaw ; nabanhaw siya gayud.

Chaldian... Qimleh Maran ; b'hakoutha qimleh.

Chamorro... La'la'i i Kristo ; megahet na luma'la'i Kristo.

Cherokee... Tsesa dolehisanahi ; oodoyuhi Tsesa dolehisanahi.

Chibemba... Kristu ashukuka ; cine cine ashukuka.

Chichewa... Ambuye Jesu anauka ; anauka ndithu.

Chin... Khrih cu tho aohi ; hizuh hi thozohi.

Chio chau... Titok ho what liao ; tzhang si ho what liao.

Chuukese... Kristus a manaau sefan ; A fokkun manaau sefan.

Cornish... Thew Creest dassorez ; en weer thewa dassorez.

Corsican... Hè rinvivitu u Cristu ; in veru, hè rinvivitu.

Cree... Christ waniskow ; tapway waniskow.

Croatian... Krist je uskrsnuo ; zaista je uskrsnuo.

Czech... Vstal z mrtvy^ch Kristus ; V pravdê vstal z mrtvy^ch.

Danish... Kristus er Opstanden; I sandhed Opstanden

Dida... Christ ô gônon kouoné ; nouawréssa ô gônon kouoné.

Didinga... Uruga Kristo ; uruga nee didi.

Dinka... Kritho aci rot jot ; ee yic yen aci rot jot.

Diola... Mallégnen Yésu na itoé ; di kaket mon.

Duala... Yésu apumbo ; nambale, nambale apumbo.

Dutch... Christus is opgestaan ; hij is waarlijk opgestaan.

Dyula... Christ bôra saya la ; tchian-nan a bôra saya la.

Ebriey... Christ tchan kounon min fé ; mimibrin in tchankou non min fé.

English... Christ is risen ; indeed he is risen.

Esperanto... Kristo levigîs ; vere levigîs.

Estonian... Kristus on üles tõusnud ; tõesti on üles tõusnud.

Eton... Yésus Nkoré a ti womo ; bebela emen na ati womo.

Ewe... Christo fo ; nyat f efo .

Ewondo...Yésus Nkoré a wômiya ; bebele émen na'a womiya.

Fang... Yesus a ve womo ; ating bebela na a ve womo.

Fanti... Kristo asor ; ampa w'asor.

Faroese... Kristus er risin upp ; ja sanniliga risin upp.

Farsi... Issah Ghi-yam kard ; dar vagheh ou barkhasteh ast.

Fijian... Sa tucake tale na Karisito ; e dina e sa tucake tale ko koya.

Finnish... Kristus nousi kuolleista ; totisesti nousi.

Flemmish... Christus is verrezen ; hij is waarlijk verrezen.

Fongbe... Christu fon sin yo mê ; nugbo nugbo Efon sin yomê.

French... Le Christ est ressuscité ; en vérité, il est ressuscité.

Frisian... Christus is opstjien ; Wis is er opstjien.

Fulah... Almasiihu ummitake ; goonga fuu o ummitake.

Ga... Jessou eteché ; eteché lélé.

Gallegan... Cristo resucitou ; de verdade resucitou.

Gambay... Christ ndel dohuyote ; togroh ia ndel dohuyote.

Gangte... Christe chih atho kita ; ahi athou kitngeihi.

Gascon... Crist ei arressuscitat ; en vertat qu'ei arressuscitat.

Geez... Kerestos tenseamoutan ; aman baaman.

Georgian... Kristé ardsga ; tchechmaritad ardsga.

German... Christus ist auferstanden ; er ist wahrhaftig auferstanden.

Gothic... Xristus urrais ; amen urrais.

Gourmantche... U tienu biga fuori ; muamuani ofuori madi.

Greek... Christos anesti ; aléthos anesti.

Guarani... Kristo Ñanoejára oikove jevy ; añetete, oikove jevy.

Guengbe... Kristo fon so kuodé ; gaaho E fon so kuodé.

Gujrati... Isaa uthi gaya chhay ; haan, saacho saach, uthi gaya chhay.

Haitian... Creole Jezikri leve ; anverite Li leve.

Hausa... Anabi Issa yatashi ; ghestia yatashi.

Haryanvi... Isaa jee utheya sai ; haan bah-yee vo sach mein jee utheya sai.

Hawaiian... Ua ala hou o Kristo ; ua ala i o no oia.

Hebrew... Ha-Masiah qom ; be-emet qom.

Hindi... Massih jee uthha- hai ; va-stav me? vo jee uthha- hai.

Houailou... Na mörû të na Keriso ; avâri, na mörû të.

Hungarian... Krisztus feltàmadott ; valóban feltàmadott.

Icelandic... Kristur er upprisinn ; hann er sannarlega upprisinn.

Igbo ...Jesu Kristi ebilitego ; ezia O' bilitego.

Indonesian... Kristus sudah bangkit ; dia benar sudah bangkit.

Innu... Khristush apitshipaitishu ; tapue apitshipaitishu.

Inuktitut... Chruistusi makisimavuq ; aamilaak makisimavuq.

Irish Gaelic... Tá Criost éirithe ; go deimhin tá sé éirithe.

Italian... Cristo è risuscitato ; in verità è risuscitato.

Japanese... Harisutosu hukkatsu ; jitsu ni hukkatsu.

Javanese...Gusti wis wungu ; Gusti nyata yen wis wungu.

Kanjobal... Mayal ictzoj aj cham ; wal yel max ictzoj aj cham.

Karo... Ia enggo ipekeke ; tuhu-tuhu Tuhan enggo nggeluh mulihken.

Kashmiri... Issa a'aw ; ye'en, hakiqatan, ch'ue su'e aaw'mu't.

Kazakh... Khristos terildi ; shyndap terildi.

Khmer... Preah Christ mean preah choan rous leong vinh ; trung mean preah choan rous leong vinh men.

Kikongo... Kristu me futumuka ; ya mukieleka yandi me futumuka.

Kikuyu... Njisu ni ariuki~ti ; i~i niariuki~ti.

Kiluba... Kristu mubika ; bushuwa Kristu mubika.

Kimbundu... Kristu ua fukunuka ; kidi muene ua fukunuka.

Kinyarwanda... Kristu yazutse ; mibyo yazutse.

Kirghiz... Khristos kaira tirildi ; chyndap tirildi.

Kitende... Nkulu oyisiki ; nde oyisiki solo.

Klingon... yinqa' HrIyStoS ; yinqa'bej.

Korean... Cristo puhar hasida ; dij tchamuro puhar hasida.

Kpelle... Korai aa mu su Saa-yeei ; toya ma, E mu su Saa-yeei.

Kurdish... Îsa xwe nav mirya rabe ; erê, raste ew rabe.

Ladino... Se levantó el Sinyor ; en verdad se levantó.

Lango... Kristo ocer ; ateni Kristo ocer.

Lao... Pha Kristo Chao kap-pen khune ma thè ching ; phatong kap pen khune ma.

Latin... Christus resurrectus est ; vere resurrectus est.

Latvian... Kristus (ir) augša-mce-lies ; patiesi vin,š ir augša-mce-lies.

Lifou... Ame Keriso ke mele hmaca ha nyidrë ; nge celë hi la nyipichi.

Lingala... Kristu asekwi ; ya solo asekwi.

Lisu... Yesu nya chi ; chi say yelawa.

Lithuanian... Kristus prisikélè ; iš tikru~ju; prisikélè.

Lotuko... Jbuhu Yesu tho ye ; jbuhu inyi tho ye ahode.

Lozi... Yesu uzuhile ; uzuhile luli.

Luganda... Kristo azukkide ; amazim azukkide.

Lugbara... Kristo angara ; adaru Kristo angara.

Luo... Kristus ochier ; eee ochier.

Luxembourgish... Christus ass operstan ; jo, et ass wouer, En ass operstan.

Macedonian... Hristos voskresna ; navistina voskresna.

Madi... Kristo onjira ; o ani onjira.

Makasar... Nasaba' attallasa poleammi ; manussa attallasa' poleammi Batara.

Malagasy... Kristy dia nitsangana tamin'ny maty ; eny efa nitsangana marina tokoa Izy.

Malay... Kristus telah bangkit; benar Dia telah bangkit

Malayalam... Massiha uyirthu ezhunettu ; sathyamayum avan uyirthu ezhunettu.

Mandar... Krista winisa ; tiana a winisa.

Mandarin... Jidu fuhuo liao ; zhende, ta fuhuo liao.

Manipuri... Christa hougat le ; chume ma hougat le.

Maori... Kua ara a te Karaiti ; He pono tonu, kua ara a Ia.

Marathi... Crist udayala ala ahe ; ho, nishtchitach to udayala ala ahe.

Marshallese... Christ e jerkakbije ; aet, e jerkakbije.

Masai... Etopiuo Christ ; Ee-taa etopiuo.

Mayan... Ix pitzvixi Jesus da scal eb chamnac ; valyel ix pitzvixi viñ.

Micmac... Sesu's mnu'nst ; na teliaq mnu'nst.

Mizo... Isua chuo tho tawh ; a tho tak tak tawh ani.

Moba... Christo yiete kpeme sigue nin ; moni po u yiete kpeme sigue nin.

Mohawk... Kristos sotonnheton ; oriwiio tsi sotonnheton.

Mongolian... Christ bol shaltgaan ; ter bol etcesiin unen shaltgaan.

Moru... Yesu efo te ; Yesu efo te en daro.

Mossi... Christ vuuga mè ; sid sida, Christ vuuga minga.

Naga...Hkristo kuex woc tuaq ngoc ; hrle yuingx waungz tueq.

Nahuatl... Cristo mozcalitzino ; ca ye nelli mozcalitzino.

Navaho... Christ daaztsáádéé' náádiidzáá ; 'ááníí, daaztsáádéé' náádidzáá.

Nepali... Isu masiah byujhinuvayo ; bastabma sachikai uha byujhinuvayo.

Newarii... Khrista mwaana wogu du ; dhaathen waiku mwaana wogu du.

Noer... Christo chero jiege lith ; chero jiege lith epuece.

Norwegian... Khristus er oppstanden; Han er sanneleg oppstanden.

Nsenga.. Yesu wauka ; wauka chendi chendi.

Nyanja... Ambuye Jesu anauka ; anauka ndithu.

Nzima... Christ idwazo ; anbanoko idwazo.

Oromo... Ouaguem ka'erra ; dugadhumman ka'erra.

Ossetic... Tcheureuchti raïgah chiche ; tcheureuchti ma com den bar feleude.

Paiteh... Jesu tuh a thokik a ; athokik lak tak mah ah.

Palauan... Kristus a mla mekiis ; ng meral mla mekiis.

Panjabi... Issa jee utheya hai ; haan sachmuch o jee utheya hai.

Pilipino... Si Kristo ay nabuhay ; totoo ngang nabuhay.

Pingelapese... Kreis ketin Isadar ; oh ketin kalowehdier.

Polish... Chrystus zmartwychwstal ; prawdziwie zmartwychwstal.

Portuguese... Cristo ressuscitou ; em verdade ressuscitou.

Provençal... Lo Crist es ressuscitat ; en veritat es ressuscitat.

Pushto... Essa ra zhwanday shaway dey ; bey shaka che zhwandey shaway dey.

Quechua... Kristu kawsarirusqa ; cheqaptapuni kawsarirusqa.

Quenyan... Ortanne Laivino ; Anwa ortanne Laivino.

Raeto-Romance... Cristo es rinaschieu ; in varded, el es rinaschieu.

Rasta... Christ Aliveagen ; Ya Mon Christ Alivegen

Romanian... Hristos a-înviat ; adeva rat a-înviat.

Runyankore... Kristo azokire ; namazima azokire.

Russian... Cristos voskresse ; voiss-it-senou voskresse

Rutooro... Kristo ahumbukire ; mazima ahumbukire.

Saidic... Pchristos aftoounp ; alethos aftoounp.

Samoan... Ua toe tu le Keriso ; ioe ua toe tu Keriso.

Sango... Yingo-voulou azingô-na-kwa ; na-ta-tene-lô zingô-na-kwa.

Sanskrit... Kristo upastitaha ; satvam upastitaha.

Scottish... Gaelic Tha Criosd air èiridh ; gu dearbh, tha e air èiridh.

Sepedi... Kriste o tsogile ; ka nnete o tsogile.

Serbian... Hristos váskrse ; vaïstinu váskrse.

Serer... Krista khontokha ; ndiguilo a khontokha.

Sesotho... Kriste o tsohile ; ha mannete o tsohile.

Shuluk... Jesus A thuthmal Ki ethou ; A thuthmal ki ethou char.

Sindhi... Issa Jo Zuhoor theo Ahe ; beshak hu Zuhoor theo Ahe.

Singhalese... Kristhus vahanse uttanavu seka ; sabavinma unvahanse uttanavu seka.

Siswati... Khristu uvukile ; ngempela uvukile.

Slavonic... Hristos vosskresse ; vo iss-ti-nou vosskresse.

Slovak... Pan Kristus vstal z mrtvych ; skutoc^ne vstal z mrtvych.

Slovenian... Kristus jevstal ; res jevstal.

Somali... Ciise wuu soo daalacey ; runtii wuu soo daalacey.

Songhai... Almasihu tun ; cimi no a tun.

Sundanese... Gusti geus tanghi ; Gusti teh enya geus tanghi.

Spanish... Christo ha resucitado ; en verdad ha resucitado.

Swahil...i Kristu amefufuka ; kweli amefufuka.

Swedish... Kristus är uppstånden ; ja han är sannerligen uppstånden.

Syriac... Mshiho qom ; shariroyth qom.

Tajik... Isa-Masih do bâre zende-shod ; dar rogheh-zende-shod.

Tahitian... Ua ti'afa'ahou te Kirito ; oia mau â, ua ti'afa'ahou 'oia.

Taiwanese... Ya-So Deng Laï Lô ; I ka'-sit Go Deng Laï Lô.

Tamil... Kirsthu ujirthu elunthar ; unmaiyagave ujirthu elunthar.

Telugu... Yesu elisedu ; nizamgane elisedu.

Thai... Pha Kristo Tiao klap pen kune m lèo ; ting ting phra tong klap pén kune ma.

Tibetan... Yeshu kyarsön chesong ; lakso chesong.

Tigre... Eyesus ten-si-ou ; ba-ha-ke ten-si-ou.

Tlingit... Krisdos Kux wudigut ; Xei gax kux wudigut.

Toba... Nunga di pahehe Ibana ; Naung tutu do dipahehe Tuhan I.

Tongo... Yesu wabuka ; wabuka chobeni.

Tsonga... Kreste ù pfukile ; yi pfukile e ku feni.

Tswana... Keresete o tsogile ; ammaaruri o tsogile.

Turkish... Mesih dirildi ; gerçekten dirildi.

Twi... Kristo as re ; ampa, w'as re.

Ugandan... Kristo ajukkide ; kweli ajukkide.

Uighur... Eysa tirildi ; shundak, Eysa tirildi.

Ukrainian... Hristos vosskress ; vo iss-tinou vosskress.

Urdu... Issa Masiha zinda ho gaya hai ; haan yakeenan, wo zinda ho gaya hai.

Uzbek... Masih tirildi ; haqiqatan tirildi.

Vietnamese... Chúa ki-tô ã phuc sinh ; qua thât ngài ã phuc sinh.

Vulcan... O Christos nasha ; ew'nasCUha.

Welsh... Atgyfododd Crist ; atgyfododd yn wir.

Wolof... Krista dékina ; dgue dgue dékina.

Xhosa... uKrestu uvukile ; ngenene uvukile.

Yacouba... Christ ya go gaï ; nguia man ya go gaï.

Yiddish... Meshia iz ufgeshtanen ; er iz wirklich ufgeshtanen.

Yoruba... Jesu jinde ; nitoto, O jinde.

Yupiq... Kris-Tuu-ssaaq Ung Wix-tuq ; I-Luu-men Ung-Wix-tuq.

Zande... Yesu azingi be kpio ; ne rego.

Zulu... Ukristu uvukile ; yebo uvukile.

Palm Sunday - Christ's Triumphal Entry Into Jerusalem

Palm Sunday: The Feast of the Entrance of our Lord Jesus Christ into Jerusalem

Introduction

On the Sunday before the Feast of Great and Holy Pascha and at the beginning of Holy Week, the Orthodox Church celebrates one of its most joyous feasts of the year. Palm Sunday is the commemoration of the Entrance of our Lord into Jerusalem following His glorious miracle of raising Lazarus from the dead. Having anticipated His arrival and having heard of the miracle, the people when out to meet the Lord and welcomed Him with displays of honor and shouts of praise. On this day, we receive and worship Christ in this same manner, acknowledging Him as our King and Lord.

Biblical Story

The biblical story of Palm Sunday is recorded in all four of the Gospels (Matthew 21:1-11; Mark 11:1-10; Luke 19:28-38; and John 12:12-18). Five days before the Passover, Jesus came from Bethany to Jerusalem. Having sent two of His disciples to bring Him a colt of a donkey, Jesus sat upon it and entered the city.

People had gathered in Jerusalem for the Passover and were looking for Jesus, both because of His great works and teaching and because they had heard of the miracle of the resurrection of Lazarus. When they heard that Christ was entering the city, they went out to meet Him with palm branches, laying their garments on the ground before Him, and shouting, “Hosanna! Blessed is he that comes in the Name of the Lord, the King of Israel!”

At the outset of His public ministry Jesus proclaimed the kingdom of God and announced that the powers of the age to come were already active in the present age (Luke 7:18-22). His words and mighty works were performed "to produce repentance as the response to His call, a call to an inward change of mind and heart which would result in concrete changes in one's life, a call to follow Him and accept His messianic destiny. The triumphant entry of Jesus into Jerusalem is a messianic event, through which His divine authority was declared.

Palm Sunday summons us to behold our king: the Word of God made flesh. We are called to behold Him not simply as the One who came to us once riding on a colt, but as the One who is always present in His Church, coming ceaselessly to us in power and glory at every Eucharist, in every prayer and sacrament, and in every act of love, kindness and mercy. He comes to free us from all our fears and insecurities, "to take solemn possession of our soul, and to be enthroned in our heart," as someone has said. He comes not only to deliver us from our deaths by His death and Resurrection, but also to make us capable of attaining the most perfect fellowship or union with Him. He is the King, who liberates us from the darkness of sin and the bondage of death. Palm Sunday summons us to behold our King: the vanquisher of death and the giver of life.

Palm Sunday summons us to accept both the rule and the kingdom of God as the goal and content of our Christian life. We draw our identity from Christ and His kingdom. The kingdom is Christ - His indescribable power, boundless mercy and incomprehensible abundance given freely to man. The kingdom does not lie at some point or place in the distant future. In the words of the Scripture, the kingdom of God is not only at hand (Matthew 3:2; 4:17), it is within us (Luke 17:21). The kingdom is a present reality as well as a future realization (Matthew 6:10). Theophan the Recluse wrote the following words about the inward rule of Christ the King:

“The Kingdom of God is within us when God reigns in us, when the soul in its depths confesses God as its Master, and is obedient to Him in all its powers. Then God acts within it as master ‘both to will and to do of his good pleasure’ (Philippians 2:13). This reign begins as soon as we resolve to serve God in our Lord Jesus Christ, by the grace of the Holy Spirit. Then the Christian hands over to God his consciousness and freedom, which comprises the essential substance of our human life, and God accepts the sacrifice; and in this way the alliance of man with God and God with man is achieved, and the covenant with God, which was severed by the Fall and continues to be severed by our willful sins, is re-established.”

The kingdom of God is the life of the Holy Trinity in the world. It is the kingdom of holiness, goodness, truth, beauty, love, peace and joy. These qualities are not works of the human spirit. They proceed from the life of God and reveal God. Christ Himself is the kingdom. He is the God-Man, Who brought God down to earth (John 1:1,14). “He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, yet the world knew Him not. He came to His own home, and His own people received Him not” (John 1:10-11). He was reviled and hated.

Palm Sunday summons us to behold our king - the Suffering Servant. We cannot understand Jesus' kingship apart from the Passion. Filled with infinite love for the Father and the Holy Spirit, and for creation, in His inexpressible humility Jesus accepted the infinite abasement of the Cross. He bore our griefs and carried our sorrows; He was wounded for our transgressions and made Himself an offering for sin (Isaiah 53). His glorification, which was accomplished by the resurrection and the ascension, was achieved through the Cross.

In the fleeting moments of exuberance that marked Jesus' triumphal entry into Jerusalem, the world received its King, the king who was on His way to death. His Passion, however, was no morbid desire for martyrdom. Jesus' purpose was to accomplish the mission for which the Father sent Him.

“The Son and Word of the Father, like Him without beginning and eternal, has come today to the city of Jerusalem, seated on a dumb beast, on a foal. From fear the cherubim dare not gaze upon Him; yet the children honor Him with palms and branches, and mystically they sing a hymn of praise: ‘Hosanna in the highest, Hosanna to the Son of David, who has come to save from error all mankind.’” (A hymn of the Light.)

“With our souls cleansed and in spirit carrying branches, with faith let us sing Christ's praises like the children, crying with a loud voice to the Master: Blessed art Thou, O Savior, who hast come into the world to save Adam from the ancient curse; and in Thy love for mankind Thou hast been pleased to become spiritually the new Adam. O Word, who hast ordered all things for our good, glory to Thee.” (A Sessional hymn of the Orthros)