My Beloved the Benevolent                            April 2025

Xhristos Anesti         Alisos Anesti

Christ is Risen         Truly He is Risen

I am pleased to congratulate you all on the glorious Feast of the Resurrection, wishing you a blessed feast and a strong spiritual life rejoicing in the power of the Resurrection.

This year, we celebrate the Feast of the Resurrection on Sunday, April 20^th. Our celebration of the Resurrection is preceded by the Pascha Week, which begins with our celebration of the Feast of Christ’s Entry into Jerusalem on Sunday, April 13th, also known as Palm Sunday. Then, we begin by following the daily events of the week of Pascha through the morning and evening prayers. We will celebrate the institution of the Eucharist on Covenant Thursday and follow hour by hour the events of the crucifixion of our Lord Jesus Christ on Good Friday – the salvation that He offered to the whole world by accepting death on the cross to deliver us from the power of death, sin and corruption. “God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin: He condemned sin in the flesh” Romans 8:3. “For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death.” Romans 8:2. “And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.” Philippians 2:8.

On Good Friday, we move from the Paschal tune to the joyful tune at the twelfth hour and spend the evening of joy and triumph with the rituals of Bright Saturday. This is how we live through the beautiful rituals of our Church.

+ We pass from the death of sin to the resurrection of life.

+ We pass from the bondage of Satan to the freedom of the glory of God’s children.

+ We pass from the bondage of corruption to the glory of the sonship of God.

My Beloved

I wish you all a blessed spiritual period during the month of April, in which we complete the Holy Forty Days of Lent on Friday, April 11^th; then, on Lazarus Saturday, the Church remind us of the stench during the miracle of raising Lazarus from the tomb, “Martha, the sister of him who was dead, said to him, ‘Lord, by this time there is a stench, for he has been dead four days.’” Jn 11:39 to remind us of the condition of humanity which has the stench of sin. “They have all turned aside; They have together become unprofitable; There is none who does good, no, not one.” Romans 3:12. Just as Christ offered hope and joy to Mary and Martha by raising Lazarus from the tomb, He offered us all the hope of coming out of the tomb of sin, “Being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God set forth as a propitiation by His blood, through faith, to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance God had passed over the sins that were previously committed.” Romans 3:24-25. “But now, once at the end of the ages, He has appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself.” Hebrews 9:26.

My Beloved

As we celebrate the week of Pascha and the glorious Feast of the Resurrection, we must always remember the new life given to us in Christ Jesus, “And He died for all, that those who live should live no longer for themselves, but for Him who died for them and rose again.” 2 Corinthians 5:15; “Therefore. if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation” 2 Corinthians 5:17. The new life in Christ is a life of holiness, purity, and righteousness. We must remember that we should act according to the call for which we were called.

Every morning, we remember the glorious Resurrection when we pray the first hour of the Agpeya prayer. Therefore, the Church has arranged for us to remember the commandment of St. Paul’s: “I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called, with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love, endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism.” Ephesians 4:1-5.

Let us all rejoice in the Resurrection of our good God and let us gladden the hearts of our needy brothers and sisters by supporting Santa Verena Charity Programs. Many happy returns!

Metropolitan Serapion