My Beloved the benevolent                                                               May 2019                                                                                                                                    

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 resurrection of our Lord is a proclamation of His conquering death.

“By His death He defeated death and those who are in the tombs He granted eternal life.”

Christ conquering death is victory for us, for He died and resurrected to resurrect us with Him. For we were dead in sins and trespasses and bound by our sins and were captivated. Satan held us captive because of our sins. Christ came to save us from the captivity of Satan thus, St Paul said in his epistle to the Ephesians, “When He ascended on high, He led captivity captive and gave gifts to men. (Now this, “He ascended” -what does it mean but that He also first descended into the lower parts of the earth: He who descended is also the One who ascended far above all the heavens, that He might fill all things.)” Eph. 4:8-10

The Son of God The Word: “…who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant and coming in the likeness of men. 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. Therefore, God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name.” Phil. 2:6-9 and St. Paul the apostle says, “And He put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be head over all things to be the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.” Eph. 1:22-23

The Son of God emptied Himself and became incarnate for our salvation. He went down to Hades of His own will to defeat death and was risen, and raised us with Him, and allowed us to sit together with Him in heavenly places in Christ Jesus. Eph. 2:6

Christ granted us many gifts through His resurrection:

He granted us redemption: “In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace.” Eph.1:7

He granted us salvation: “But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved)” Eph 2:4-5

He granted us reconciliation: “That is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation” 2 Cor.5:19

He granted us new creation: “For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. Eph.2:10

My Beloved

Christ died for us and resurrected for our salvation and invited us with a holy invitation. Therefore, what is our duty and responsibility for the salvation of our souls?

St. Paul the apostle says, “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.”2Cor. 5:15 In the matins prayer, every day the church reminds us with what St. Paul says, “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.” Eph.4:1-5 Our new life in Christ Jesus is a holy life, thus St. Paul invites us, “For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord, Walk as children of light.” Eph. 5:8

The resurrection of the Lord Christ from death is a calling to be awakened from the death of sin and the sleeping in laziness and carelessness, to be enlightened by Christ, “Therefore He says: Awake, you who sleep, arise from the dead and Christ will give you light.” Eph. 5:14 It is a calling for us to walk cautiously and not waste our time in vain, “See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise” Eph. 5:15

Let us praise our God saying, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ” Eph. 1:3 “Let us cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light.” Rom. 13:12 “But speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head Christ” Eph. 4:15

Let us pray for the peace of the one holy catholic and apostolic Church.

Let us pray for our beloved Pope Tawadrous II.

Let us pray for God to grant us the rejoicing of His Holy Resurrection and to confirm us in the faith till the last breath.

Many happy returns,

Metropolitan Serapion