Holy Pascha,
2000
BARTHOLOMEW
By
the mercy of God Archbishop of Constantinople
New Rome and Ecumenical Patriarch:
unto the entire plentitude of the Church
Grace, Mercy and Peace from Christ
our Glorious and Risen Saviour
Christ is Risen!
Filled with joy was the mouth of the Myrrh-Bearing women
as they said, "The Lord is Risen!"
With this same great joy, we also repeat over and over
again this year the proclamation of the most important event
in the history of mankind and in the life of every person:
"Christ is Risen." This event has become a form of
salutation, for the pronouncement thereof is a matter of
deepest joy. It is not, like most salutations, a mere wish.
It is an actual event, it is a reality. Christ is risen and
death is abolished. Death is abolished, for Christ
resurrects with Himself all the faithful who, inasmuch as
they believe in Him, do not taste death, but pass from death
unto life.
Modern man, being unable by his own power to face the
inevitable reality of death, has repressed this fact into
the depths of his subconscious. He does everything he can to
prolong the natural life of his body; and when the
inescapable end arrives, he makes cosmetic improvements to
the situation. He conceals the manifestations of death, he
hides what happened, so that those who are left may continue
with their natural life as if the spectre of death did not
threaten it.
But the natural cessation of the bodily existence of
humanity is unavoidable, and futile is the effort of modern
man to ignore this reality.
We as faithful Christians face the fear of death, not by
refusing to think about or deal with it, but rather through
our faith in the Resurrection of Christ, which entails also
the expectation of our own resurrection. Having risen from
the dead, Christ became the First-born of the dead, and He
is ready to bestow resurrection, the passage from death to
life, unto every person who entrusts his life to Him. These
are the gladsome tidings which we proclaim to the whole
world, crying out, "Christ is Risen!"
The joy of the resurrection and of the abolition of death
inundates our hearts. We do not deem it sufficient simply to
wish for life for our fellow human beings. Christ came to
earth, Christ became incarnate, Christ was crucified and
resurrected so that we might have life, and have it more
abundantly. Therefore, we do not wish simply for
resurrection. We reassure all that Christ is Risen and death
is abolished. We invite all to the joy of eternal life,
which begins in the present life. For our anticipation of
the resurrection is not merely a hope: it is a reality
inherent in the Resurrection of Christ. In this sense, our
wish is also a reality, and this reality replaces the
wish.
Christ is Risen! And every person is called to rise
together with Him.
Christ is Risen! And every person has the potential to rise
together with Him.
Christ is Risen! And in effect every person has already
risen together with Him.
Two preconditions are required for our participation in
Christ's Resurrection: faith and love for Him, and all that
these entail.
But today we celebrate the Resurrection, we proclaim the
fact, and we rejoice in saying "The Lord is Risen."
This is not a fiction, it is not a lie. It is a truth
confessed by the myriads of Saints who loved Christ and
fully trusted Him, and who are now alive with Him and appear
unto many.
The Resurrection, thanks to Christ, is a reality, and it
is offered unto all.
Christ is risen from the dead, by death destroying death,
and to those in the tombs-and to those not yet in the
tombs-bestowing life.
Through His grace and mercy may we all participate in His
Resurrection and His life. So may it be.
Christ is
Risen!
Holy Pascha 2000
Your fervent intercessor for all before Christ the Risen
One
+Bartholomew of Constantinople
Protocol No. 330
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