« PASCHAL MESSAGE BY ARCHBISHOP E L I S E Y OF SOUROZH »
03-05-2016 Venerable pastors, dear brothers and sisters!
Pascha truly opens the doors of Paradise to us. These doors are not to be found in some far–off imaginary place but close at hand - within the soul. Christ is risen and grants us His Divine Light, which enlightens every man that comes into the world. Let us open the doors of our souls, the hinges of which are lubricated with the oil of repentance. Let us marvel at this mysterious revelation, which is more valuable than any scientific discovery. Rejoicing in the revelation of the truth of the wonderful and life-giving action of God in us, we exclaim from the depths of hearts:
Christ is Risen! He is Risen indeed!
How good it is to dwell in the rays of the Love of God! What happiness to partake of Christ's Life in His world, open to us, in the tabernacle of God with men, where He will dwell with them!
Now, having celebrated Easter and had a foretaste of that new life which is given to us, let us be confirmed in the renewal of our faith: God and His life exist and are active in people through His Love; evil and death are being destroyed by Love and are doomed to annihilation. Let us reject death and call upon life! We are not departing from life, even if the body dies.
If Christ takes upon Himself the punishment for our sins, if He instead of us goes down to hell, then death will pass us by, for we, in the words of the Saviour, have been born from above.
Let us not believe in a momentary hopelessness, in the horrifying power of problems that are developing everywhere, of life's dead ends and in predestination to evil and death. Christ is Risen! He is the First and Last and the living one: and was dead, and behold is alive for evermore, Amen!
In Paschal joy I cordially greet all those who serve God and people, who pray and work, who suffer the hardships of bearing the cross in life or who rejoice in the abundant Grace of God. I congratulate all of you with the Feast of Life, which is renewing us and the world in which we live!
Christ is Risen Indeed!
+ELISEY, ARCHBISHOP OF SOUROZH
The Pascha of Christ, 2016
London