April 2018

My Beloved the benevolent

Ikhristos Anesti            Alisos Anesti

Christ is Risen             Truly He is Risen

I would like to congratulate you all on the Feast of the Resurrection of Our Lord God and Savior Jesus Christ.  The Holy Resurrection of Our Lord is a revealing light that opens our eyes to see our living and strong Christ, the conqueror of death and grantor of eternal life to us.

            The disciples lived for years with our good Lord, saw His miracles and heard His teachings, but the Glorious Resurrection revealed a lot to them and explained to them things they didn’t understand before. St. John describes the entrance of Christ to Jerusalem and says, “His disciples did not understand these things at first; but when Jesus was glorified, then they remembered that these things were written about Him and that they had done these things to Him.” Jn.12:16. The disciples did not understand the crucifixion events, and the disciples of Emmaus expressed this in their talk with Christ our Lord whom they didn’t recognize, “but we were hoping that it was He who was going to redeem Israel.” Lu.24:21. They thought that the crucifixion prevented redemptions, where in reality, redemption was accomplished by the crucifixion, thus Christ rebuked them saying, “‘Ought not the Christ to have suffered these things and to enter into His glory?’ And beginning at Moses and all the Prophets, He expounded to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself.” Lu.24:26-27, and when Christ our Lord appeared to the disciples after the Resurrection and said, “Peace to you” the Bible says, “But they were terrified and frightened and supposed they had seen a spirit.” Lu.24:36 and after Christ confirmed to them the truth of the Resurrection, they rejoiced, “And He opened their understanding, that they might comprehend the Scriptures.” Lu. 24:45

Our rejoicing with the Resurrection reveals to us who our Living Christ is. Thus the church dedicated the period of the Holy Fifty, a time of daily celebration with the Resurrection of Christ, and organized the readings especially for this period to lead us in a joyous journey that reveals to us who Christ is.

On the first Sunday of the Holy Fifty, we are told of the Resurrection and the appearance of Christ to the disciples and then to Thomas, to confirm the reality of the Resurrection as a true historical event that grants us resurrection and eternal life and grants us true joy. “The disciples were glad when they saw the Lord.” Jn.20:20 and Jesus said, “Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed” Jn. 20:29

On the second Sunday we rejoice with Christ the Bread of Life who came down from heaven to grant us eternal life when Jesus said to the disciples, “I am the bread of life, He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst.” Jn. 6:35

The third Sunday the church offers to us the story of the Samaritan, our living Christ who granted us living water meaning the grace of the Holy Spirit, “Whoever drinks of this water will thirst again but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst again. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life.” Jn. 4:13-14  

The fourth Sunday we rejoice in Christ the light of the world Who enlightens the way for us so we don’t stumble, “Walk while you have the light, lest darkness overtake you; he who walks in darkness does not know where he is going. While you have the light, believe in the light, that you may become sons of light” Jn. 12:35-36

The fifth Sunday we rejoice in our living Christ, The Way that leads to the Father “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the father except through Me.” Jn. 14:6 as St. Peter did not say, “Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.” Acts 4:12

The sixth Sunday which comes after we celebrate the Feast of Ascension, Christ ascending to heaven says that He is with us and won’t leave us, “Until now you have asked nothing in My name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full.” Jn. 16: 24 and grants us a message of peace and tranquility in a world filled with tribulations, “These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace, In the world you will have tribulations; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” Jn. 16:33

Let us rejoice in our living Christ and rejoice in His Holy Resurrection; praying that God grant us to give this joy to every suffering soul.

Let us remember our needy brethren and lend them a helping hand through Santa Verena Charity Programs.

May the Lord bless your offerings and grant you a share and an inheritance with the saints. Many happy returns.

                                                                                                                                                                Metropolitan Serapion