Easter message of Patriarch Kirill
"The grace of God has appeared, saving for all people"
(Tit. 2:11)
Beloved in the Lord, Your Grace archpastors, all-honourable presbyters and deacons, God-loving monks and nuns, dear brothers and sisters!
On a night permeated with Divine light, filled with great triumph and spiritual joy about the Lord of the world, who conquered death, I turn to all of you an ancient exclamation, unshakably testifying to our unchanging hope:
CHRIST IS RISEN!
Many generations of holy men and women wished to comprehend at least to a small extent what happened almost two thousand years ago in the bosom of the luminous Holy Sepulcher. They sought to make available to us, as far as it is possible for the limited human mind, the knowledge of this wondrous mystery, which took place in a burial cave near the old walls of Jerusalem. We were looking for images that would bring us closer to the realization of a truly fundamental change that God made that night with the entire universe.
St. John Chrysostom writes about this event in the following way: “The Day of the Resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ is the foundation of the world, the beginning of reconciliation, the cessation of hostile actions, the destruction of death, the defeat of the devil” (Word for Holy Pascha).
In the light of what has been said, the words of the supreme supreme Paul, who likens the resurrection of the Savior from the tomb to the new creation of the world and the creation of a new humanity, are filled with special meaning for us. "Whoever is in Christ is a new creation; the old has passed away, now everything is new" (2 Cor. 5:17) - we read in the Apostolic Epistle to the Corinthians.
The resurrection of the Lord Jesus is the main content of the Christian message to the world. Only thanks to the sacrifice of Calvary, inextricably linked with the glorious Resurrection, do all human darings directed towards the Source of all good gain meaning and value. The sacrifice of Christ was a response to the attempts made by people of different cultures and traditions to search for the Living God, for, according to the word of the Holy Scripture, the Lord "does not show partiality, but in every nation he who fears Him and does righteousness is pleasing to Him" (Acts 10, 34-35), and He wants everyone to be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth (1 Tim. 2:4). These strenuous efforts embodied the aspirations and hopes of millions of people who at different times vainly sought an opportunity to overcome their deplorable condition and find true "life and life in abundance" (John 10, 10).
The predestined from time immemorial has come true. From now on, death no longer has such power over a person - and now, just as "in Adam all die, so in Christ all shall be made alive" (1 Cor. 15:22). Therefore, Easter is the most important Christian holiday, because the humiliated and tormented Jesus of Nazareth, radiant with Divine glory, “resurrected on the third day, and having created all flesh, to the resurrection from the dead<...>May He Himself be all, excel in all" (anaphora of the liturgy of Basil the Great).
Today Christ is again calling us all to the feast of faith, the feast of the Kingdom, calling us to taste the fruits of His atoning sacrifice, to drink of the water flowing into eternal life (John 4:14). However, our unity with the Lord cannot be limited to participation in divine services or personal prayerful zeal. It should be fully reflected in all aspects of our lives. We cannot be in a carefree celebration, knowing that there are people around who have not found the joy of life in God, who are suffering, mourning, lonely, destitute or tormented by diseases. Our sacred duty is to ensure that the name of Christ is praised everywhere, so that people, seeing good deeds done for the glory of God, join the Orthodox faith, turn their hearts to the Father who is in heaven.
Unfortunately, the evil human will and the devilish temptation still operate in the world. But despondency should not have a place in our soul, because, despite all the troubles, cataclysms, conflicts and contradictions, we know that the Lord conquered the world
(John 16:33), triumphed over sin and death. And therefore we have the opportunity to testify in word and deed about the grace given to us through fellowship with the Savior, thanks to being in His Church. Let us be diligent in the fulfillment of the gospel commandments, so that both near and far, following our example, desire to partake of the triumph of faith and the riches of grace sent down from God to all His faithful children.
Paki I congratulate you all on the greatest feast of Easter, the feast of the Resurrection of "Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead and the ruler of the kings of the earth. To Him who loved us and washed us from our sins with His Blood and made us kings and priests to God and His Father glory and dominion forever and ever, amen." (Rev. 1:5-6)
TRULY IS RISEN CHRIST!
+ KIRILL
Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus'
Moscow
Easter, 2017
M hello to you, dear visitors of the Orthodox website "Family and Faith"!
CHRIST IS RISEN!
IN This year 2017, the main Christian holiday came on April 16th. On this significant day, His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Rus' sent his traditional Paschal message to the archpastors, pastors, deacons, monastics and all the faithful children of the Russian Orthodox Church (that is, you and me).
P it is customary to read the epistle of the patriarch at the end of the night service, when many of us, being rather tired, no longer listen with due attention to the address of His Holiness, who so eloquently and intelligibly reveals the main meaning of this spring celebration.
P Therefore, we are posting the Paschal Epistle of Patriarch Kirill for a second (and for some, the first) edifying and festive reading.
« The grace of God has appeared, saving for all people"
(Tit. 2:11)
IN Beloved in the Lord, Your Grace archpastors, all-honorable presbyters and deacons, God-loving monks and nuns, dear brothers and sisters!
On a night permeated with Divine light, filled with great triumph and spiritual joy about the Lord of the world, who conquered death, I turn to all of you an ancient exclamation, unshakably testifying to our unchanging hope:
CHRIST IS RISEN!
Many generations of holy men and women wished to comprehend at least to a small extent what happened almost two thousand years ago in the bosom of the radiant tomb of the Lord. They sought to make available to us, as far as it is possible for the limited human mind, the knowledge of this wondrous mystery, which took place in a burial cave near the old walls of Jerusalem. We were looking for images that would bring us closer to the realization of a truly fundamental change that God made that night with the entire universe.
St. John Chrysostom writes about this event in the following way: “The Day of the Resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ is the foundation of the world, the beginning of reconciliation, the cessation of hostile actions, the destruction of death, the defeat of the devil” (Word for Holy Pascha).
In the light of what has been said, the words of the supreme supreme Paul, who likens the resurrection of the Savior from the tomb to the new creation of the world and the creation of a new humanity, are filled with special meaning for us. “He who is in Christ is a new creation; the old has passed away, now everything is new” (2 Cor. 5:17), we read in the apostolic letter to the Corinthians.
The resurrection of the Lord Jesus is the main content of the Christian message to the world. Only thanks to the sacrifice of Calvary, inextricably linked with the glorious Resurrection, do all human darings directed towards the Source of all good gain meaning and value. The sacrifice of Christ was a response to attempts made by people of different cultures and traditions to search for the Living God, for, according to the word of the Holy Scripture, the Lord “does not show partiality, but in every nation he who fears Him and does righteousness is pleasing to Him” (Acts 10:34-35), and He wants everyone to be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth (1 Tim. 2:4). These strenuous efforts embodied the aspirations and hopes of millions of people who at different times vainly sought an opportunity to overcome their deplorable condition and find true “life and life in abundance” (John 10:10).
The predestined from time immemorial has come true. From now on, death no longer has such power over a person - and now, just as “in Adam all die, so in Christ all shall be made alive” (1 Cor. 15:22). Therefore, Easter is the most important Christian holiday, because the humiliated and tormented Jesus of Nazareth, radiant with Divine glory, “resurrected on the third day, and having made the way of all flesh to the resurrection from the dead:<…>let Himself be all, excel in all ”(anaphora of the Liturgy of Basil the Great).
Today, Christ again calls us all to the feast of faith, the feast of the Kingdom, calls us to taste the fruits of His atoning sacrifice, to drink of the water flowing into eternal life (John 4:14). However, our unity with the Lord cannot be limited to participation in divine services or personal prayerful zeal. It should be fully reflected in all aspects of our lives. We cannot be in a carefree celebration, knowing that there are people around who have not found the joy of life in God, who are suffering, mourning, lonely, destitute or tormented by diseases. Our sacred duty is to ensure that the name of Christ is praised everywhere, so that people, seeing good deeds done for the glory of God, join the Orthodox faith, turn their hearts to the Father who is in heaven.
Unfortunately, the evil human will and the devilish temptation still operate in the world. But despondency should not have a place in our soul, because despite all the troubles, cataclysms, conflicts and contradictions, we know that the Lord conquered the world (John 16:33), triumphed over sin and death. And therefore we have the opportunity to testify in word and deed about the grace given to us through fellowship with the Savior, thanks to being in His Church. Let us be diligent in the fulfillment of the gospel commandments, so that both near and far, following our example, desire to partake of the triumph of faith and the riches of grace sent down from God to all His faithful children.
Paki I congratulate you all on the greatest holiday of Easter, the feast of the Resurrection of “Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead and the ruler of the kings of the earth. To him who loved us and washed us from our sins in his blood and made us kings and priests to his God and Father, glory and dominion forever and ever, amen” (Rev. 1:5-6).
His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Rus' addressed the archpastors, pastors, deacons, monastics and all the faithful children of the Russian Orthodox Church with the traditional Easter message.
Beloved in the Lord archpastors, all-honourable presbyters and deacons, God-loving monks and nuns, dear brothers and sisters!
CHRIST IS RISEN!
From a heart filled with bright joy about the Savior Risen from the Sepulcher, I greet you all with these life-affirming words and congratulate you on the feast of holidays - Easter of the Lord.
Now we are called to a great feast of faith, to a great triumph of the spirit. The only begotten Son of God, who came into the world, endured suffering and death on the cross, rose victoriously from the tomb by the command of the Heavenly Father! Jesus is risen - and "death is swallowed up in victory" (1 Cor. 15:54)! He is risen - and the whole Universe rejoices! The Lord abolished hell and crushed the power of the devil. And the philanthropic God did all this in order to adopt us to Himself through Jesus Christ, in whom we have redemption through His blood and the forgiveness of sins (Eph. 1:4-5; 7).
The victory of Christ over death is not only a spiritual but also a physical reality. The Lord Jesus was truly resurrected in body for the salvation of all people. With His resurrection, death lost its irreversible character, and for those who believed in Christ it became a birth into eternal life, a door that opens the way to heaven, to the Kingdom of God.
It is no coincidence that the martyrs for Christ courageously met any suffering. And if earlier even the great righteous grieved for the dead as if they were lost, then after the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, death no longer frightened them. As St. Athanasius the Great wonderfully writes, from now on all those who believe in Christ trample it as nothing, knowing quite well that when they die, they do not perish, but live and become incorruptible through the resurrection (The Sermon about the Incarnation of God the Word and about His coming to us in flesh). A vivid example was also shown to us by the New Martyrs of the Russian Church, who fearlessly accepted the confessional crowns during the years of persecution of the faith in the 20th century.
Today, when the world is becoming more and more like the foolish rich man from the gospel parable (see Luke 12:16-21), when comfort, success and long life are declared almost the main values of human existence, we, the disciples and followers of the Savior, follow the apostle Paul boldly testifies: for us life is Christ (Philippians 1:21), and death is not the end of being. We say and believe this, for we know that God created the soul of man for eternity.
How often we, immersed in the hustle and bustle of everyday life, lack the spiritual vigilance to recognize the transforming power of the Divine Presence in our lives! But the Easter period is a very special time. On these days, even the very air seems to be saturated with an incomparable Paschal joy, and the love and mercy of God are poured out abundantly on every person.
Entering the celebration of this wondrous and radiant feast, we are called not only in word but also in deed to convincingly bear witness to the great gift that people received through the Risen Lord Jesus. Let us share the joyful Gospel news with those around us, give our love, care and attention to those close to us, and do good to those who need our help and comfort. Only in this way, with grateful lips and grateful hearts, glorifying the Savior who has risen from the tomb, do we become heirs of the completed Paschal miracle and boldly call ourselves sons and daughters of the Most High God, who has shown immeasurable love for all of us.
Heartily congratulating you on the bright holiday of Holy Pascha, I again and again turn to you with a joyful greeting:
CHRIST IS RISEN!
KIRILL, PATRIARCH OF MOSCOW AND ALL Rus'
Moscow, Easter, 2018
Based on materials from the site patriarchia.ru
07.04.2018
Beloved in the Lord archpastors, all-honourable presbyters and deacons, God-loving monks and nuns, dear brothers and sisters!
CHRIST IS RISEN!
From a heart filled with bright joy about the Savior Risen from the Sepulcher, I greet you all with these life-affirming words and congratulate you on holiday of holidays- Easter of the Lord.
Now we are called to a great feast of faith, to a great triumph of the spirit. The only begotten Son of God, who came into the world, endured suffering and death on the cross, rose victoriously from the tomb by the command of the Heavenly Father! Jesus is risen and "death swallowed up in victory"(1 Corinthians 15:54)! He is risen - and the whole Universe rejoices! The Lord abolished hell and crushed the power of the devil. And all this was done by the philanthropic God, to adopt us to Himself through Jesus Christ, in whom we have redemption through His blood and the forgiveness of sins(Eph. 1:4-5; 7).
The victory of Christ over death is not only a spiritual but also a physical reality. The Lord Jesus was truly resurrected in body for the salvation of all people. With His resurrection, death lost its irreversible character, and for those who believed in Christ it became a birth into eternal life, a door that opens the way to heaven, to the Kingdom of God.
It is no coincidence that the martyrs for Christ courageously met any suffering. And if earlier even the great righteous grieved for the dead as for the lost, then after the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, death no longer frightened them. As St. Athanasius the Great wonderfully writes, from now on all believers in Christ trample it as nothing, knowing full well that when they die they do not perish, but live and become incorruptible through the resurrection(A word about the incarnation of God the Word and about His coming to us in the flesh). A vivid example was also shown to us by the New Martyrs of the Russian Church, who fearlessly accepted the confessional crowns during the years of persecution of the faith in the 20th century.
Today, when the world is becoming more and more like the foolish rich man from the gospel parable (see Luke 12:16-21), when comfort, success and long life are declared almost the main values of human existence, we, the disciples and followers of the Savior, follow the apostle Paul boldly testifies: for us life is Christ(Philippians 1:21), and death is not the end of being. We say and believe this, for we know that God created the soul of man for eternity.
How often we, immersed in the hustle and bustle of everyday life, lack the spiritual vigilance to recognize the transforming power of the Divine Presence in our lives! But the Easter period is a very special time. On these days, even the very air seems to be saturated with an incomparable Paschal joy, and the love and mercy of God are poured out abundantly on every person.
Entering the celebration of this wondrous and radiant feast, we are called not only in word but also in deed to convincingly bear witness to the great gift that people received through the Risen Lord Jesus. Let us share the joyful Gospel news with those around us, give our love, care and attention to those close to us, and do good to those who need our help and comfort. Only in this way, with grateful lips and grateful hearts, glorifying the Savior who has risen from the tomb, do we become heirs of the completed Paschal miracle and boldly call ourselves sons and daughters of the Most High God, who has shown immeasurable love for all of us.
Heartily congratulating you on the bright holiday of Holy Pascha, I again and again turn to you with a joyful greeting:
CHRIST IS RISEN!
+KIRILL, PATRIARCH OF MOSCOW AND ALL Rus'
Moscow, Easter, 2018
His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Rus' addressed the archpastors, pastors, deacons, monastics and all the faithful children of the Russian Orthodox Church with the traditional Easter message.
“The grace of God has appeared, saving for all people”
(Tit. 2:11)
Beloved in the Lord, Your Grace archpastors, all-honourable presbyters and deacons, God-loving monks and nuns, dear brothers and sisters!
On a night permeated with Divine light, filled with great triumph and spiritual joy about the Lord of the world, who conquered death, I turn to all of you an ancient exclamation, unshakably testifying to our unchanging hope:
CHRIST IS RISEN!
Many generations of holy men and women wished to comprehend at least to a small extent what happened almost two thousand years ago in the bosom of the radiant tomb of the Lord. They sought to make available to us, as far as it is possible for the limited human mind, the knowledge of this wondrous mystery, which took place in a burial cave near the old walls of Jerusalem. We were looking for images that would bring us closer to the realization of a truly fundamental change that God made that night with the entire universe.
Saint John Chrysostom writes about this event in the following way: “The Day of the Resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ is the foundation of the world, the beginning of reconciliation, the cessation of hostile actions, the destruction of death, the defeat of the devil”(Word for Holy Easter).
In the light of what has been said, the words of the supreme supreme Paul, who likens the resurrection of the Savior from the tomb to the new creation of the world and the creation of a new humanity, are filled with special meaning for us. “He who is in Christ is a new creation; the old has passed, now everything is new.”(2 Cor. 5:17) - we read in the Apostolic Epistle to the Corinthians.
The resurrection of the Lord Jesus is the main content of the Christian message to the world. Only thanks to the sacrifice of Calvary, inextricably linked with the glorious Resurrection, do all human darings directed towards the Source of all good gain meaning and value. The sacrifice of Christ was a response to the attempts made by people of different cultures and traditions to search for the Living God, for, according to the word of the Holy Scripture, the Lord "no respect for persons, but in every nation he who fears him and does what is right is pleasing to him"(Acts 10:34-35) and He wants everyone to be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth(1 Tim. 2:4). These strenuous efforts embodied the aspirations and hopes of millions of people who, at different times, vainly sought an opportunity to overcome their deplorable state and find a genuine "life and abundant life"(John 10:10).
The predestined from time immemorial has come true. From now on, death no longer has such power over a person - and now how “in Adam all die, so in Christ all shall be made alive”(1 Corinthians 15:22). Therefore, Easter is the most important Christian holiday, because the humiliated and tormented Jesus of Nazareth, radiant with Divine glory, rose again on the third day, and having made a way for all flesh unto the resurrection from the dead:<…>let Himself be all, excel in all"(anaphora of the Liturgy of Basil the Great).
Today, Christ again calls us all to the feast of faith, the feast of the Kingdom, calls us to taste the fruits of His atoning sacrifice, to drink water flowing into eternal life(John 4:14). However, our unity with the Lord cannot be limited to participation in divine services or personal prayerful zeal. It should be fully reflected in all aspects of our lives. We cannot be in a carefree celebration, knowing that there are people around who have not found the joy of life in God, who are suffering, mourning, lonely, destitute or tormented by diseases. Our sacred duty is to ensure that the name of Christ is praised everywhere, so that people, seeing good deeds done for the glory of God, join the Orthodox faith, turn their hearts to the Father who is in heaven.
Unfortunately, the evil human will and the devilish temptation still operate in the world. But despondency should not have a place in our soul, because despite all the troubles, cataclysms, conflicts and contradictions, we know that The Lord conquered the world(John 16:33), triumphed over sin and death. And therefore we have the opportunity to testify in word and deed about the grace given to us through fellowship with the Savior, thanks to being in His Church. Let us be diligent in the fulfillment of the gospel commandments, so that both near and far, following our example, desire to partake of the triumph of faith and the riches of grace sent down from God to all His faithful children.
Paki I congratulate you all on the greatest holiday of Easter, the holiday of the Resurrection “Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. To Him who loved us and washed us from our sins with His Blood and made us kings and priests to His God and Father, glory and dominion forever and ever, amen. (Rev. 1:5-6).
TRULY IS RISEN CHRIST!
+KIRILL, PATRIARCH OF MOSCOW AND ALL Rus'
Moscow, Easter, 2017
