ΠΑΣΧΑΛΙΝΟ ΜΗΝΥΜΑ 2021 EASTER MESSAGE 2021

 

                            

 Orthodox Metropolis of Korea

Beloved Brothers and Sisters in the Lord,

The word that dominates the “feast of feasts,” and which fully encompasses its deeper meaning is the word Resurrection! Resurrection, is, the Christian word par excellence. It is the word whose meaning, prior to Christ, was completely incomprehensible and used to provoke ironic comments, just as it did during the sermon of the Apostle Paul at the Supreme Court in Athens. Yet, after Christ, its meaning was fully understood. After the reality of Easter, every time we hear the word “Resurrection” the form of our resurrected Lord—the Eternal Victor over death—enters our minds and hearts. Because Christ Himself told us, “I am the resurrection and life” (John 11:25).

The word “Resurrection” scatters the Lord’s radiant light within us and around us, since His resurrection “has enlightened the universe” (Aposticha, Tone 2). The word “Resurrection” begets in us the sweet expectation of the eighth day, that is, of the Kingdom of God; it also reminds us of the confession we make when we recite the Creed: “I look forward to the resurrection of the dead and the life of the world to come. Amen.”

Every Sunday throughout the ecclesiastical year, our Orthodox Church celebrates the eschatological dimension of the unique and unrepeatable event of Christ’s Resurrection. Every Sunday is a kind of ‘weekly Easter,’ as is every day during the forty days following the annual Paschal celebration. Christ’s resurrection is what every person longs for, whether faithful or unbelieving, because all of humanity was created for immortality and justifiably hates decay and death because it contradicts our original beauty. Since, through sin, the post-fallen human person became mortal, the Person of the God-man came to earth and, through His Crucifixion, Death, and Resurrection, gave all of humanity the possibility of immortality. For this reason, the Apostle Paul boasts about the crucifixion of the Lord (Gal. 6:14). Moreover, the hymnographer of the Church places in the mouth of every believer a similar ‘boast’ for the Death and the Resurrection of the Lord, saying, “In your resurrection I glory and your death is my life. O Almighty One and Lover of Mankind, O Lord: glory to You” (Vespers Stichera, Tone 7).

The joyful message of Easter is that the sole purpose of Christ’s Death and the Resurrection is our personal resurrection. Christ was resurrected for no other reason than to resurrect us from the death of sin. Therefore, the timeless request of the faithful is, “Lord, You who rose from the dead, raise us also who have fallen through sin…” (Lauds, Tone 4). Let us also reflect on the fact that our final destination is our entry into His Kingdom, where “there is no pain, no sorrow, no sighing, but everlasting life.”

Because of the Resurrection, no matter what evil happens to them in their earthly life, believing Christians do not grieve nor do they lose hope; instead, they are oriented towards eternity, and thus continue with courage and confidence during their struggle for the attainment of true life.

Therefore the effects of sickness, epidemics, sorrow, pain, poverty, and even death are annihilated by the expectation of our personal resurrection through our Lord Jesus Christ. For after the Resurrection of Christ “death perished; victory is complete! Death where is your sting? O Hades where is your victory? Let us thank God who has given us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Cor. 15: 54-55, 57).

The great event of the Resurrection—the feast of Pascha—which we celebrate today with such splendour, is the most important feast of our Orthodox Church. Indeed, the usual greeting of the resurrection, “Christ is Risen – Truly He is Risen,” spreads this ultimate message to the ends of the universe: “Christ is Risen and the tomb is emptied of the dead: for Christ being risen from the dead, has become the Leader and Reviver of those who had fallen asleep. To Him be glory and power forever and ever. Amen.”

On behalf of His Eminence Metropolitan Soterios of Pisidia, our Clergy, and all our associates in the Lord, I wish you and your loved ones good health, rapid relief from the COVID-19 pandemic, and every blessing from the risen Lord.

My Beloved, Christ is risen!

With much love and special honor in Christ our risen Lord,

+ Ambrosios Metropolitan of Korea

 

 

Προσφιλεῖς Ἀδελφοὶ καὶ Ἀδελφές μου ἐν Κυρίῳ,

Ἡ λέξη ποὺ δεσπόζει στὴν «ἑορτὴ τῶν ἑορτῶν» καὶ ἡ ὁποία περικλείει τὴν βαθύτερη σημασία τῆς «πανηγύρεως τῶν πανηγύρεων» εἶναι ἡ λέξη Ἀνάσταση! Ἡ κατ᾽ἐξοχήν, δηλαδή, χριστιανικὴ λέξη. Ἡ λέξη ποὺ τὸ νόημά της πρὸ Χριστοῦ ἦταν ἐντελῶς ἀκατανόητο καὶ προκαλοῦσε εἰρωνικὰ σχόλια, ὅπως ἔγινε π.χ. κατὰ τὸ κήρυγμα τοῦ ἀποστόλου Παύλου στὸν  Ἄρειο Πάγο, ἐνῶ μετὰ Χριστὸν ἔγινε πλήρως κατανοητό. Ἡ λέξη ποὺ στὸ ἄκουσμά της καὶ μόνον ἔρχεται συνειρμικὰ στὸν νοῦ καὶ στὴν καρδιά μας ἡ μορφὴ τοῦ ἀναστάντος Κυρίου μας, τοῦ αἰώνιου Νικητὴ τοῦ θανάτου. Γιατὶ ὁ ἴδιος μᾶς εἶπε πὼς εἶναι «ἡ ἀνάστασις καὶ ἡ ζωή». (Ἰω. 11:25) Ἡ λέξη Ἀνάσταση σκορπίζει μέσα μας καὶ γύρω μας τὸ λαμπροφόρο φῶς Του, ἀφοῦ ἡ ἀνάστασή Του «ἅπασαν ἐφώτισε τὴν οἰκουμένην…». (Ἀπόστιχα, ἦχος β´) Ἡ λέξη ἀνάσταση γεννᾶ μέσα μας καὶ τὴν γλυκειὰ προσδοκία τῆς ὄγδοης ἡμέρας, δηλαδὴ τῆς Βασιλείας τοῦ Θεοῦ· μᾶς θυμίζει τὴν ὁμολογία ποὺ κάνουμε ὅταν ἀπαγγέλουμε τὸ Σύμβολο τῆς Πίστεως: «Προσδοκῶ ἀνάστασιν νεκρῶν καὶ ζωὴν τοῦ μέλλοντος αἰῶνος».

Ἡ ἐσχατολογικὴ διάσταση τοῦ μοναδικοῦ καὶ ἀνεπανάληπτου γεγονότος τῆς Ἀναστάσεως τοῦ Χριστοῦ, τὸ ὁποῖο ἡ Ὀρθόδοξη Ἐκκλησία γιορτάζει ὅλες τὶς Κυριακὲς τοῦ ἐκκλησιαστικοῦ ἔτους, κατὰ τὸ ἑβδομαδιαῖο, τὸ μικρό, λεγόμενο, Πάσχα, ἀλλὰ καὶ μὲ πολὺ ἔντονο τρόπο σαράντα μέρες μετὰ τὴν ἑορτὴ τοῦ ἐτήσιου Πάσχα, εἶναι αὐτὸ ποὺ λαχταρᾶ κάθε ἄνθρωπος, πιστὸς ἤ ἄπιστος ἀδιακρίτως. Γιατὶ ὁ ἄνθρωπος πλάστηκε ἀθάνατος καὶ δικαιολογημένα μισεῖ τὴν φθορὰ καὶ τὸν θάνατο γιατὶ ἔρχεται σὲ ἀντίθεση μὲ τὸ πρωτόκτιστο κάλλος του. Ἐπειδὴ ἐξ αἰτίας τῆς ἁμαρτίας ὁ μεταπτωτικὸς ἄνθρωπος ἔγινε θνητός, ἦρθε ὁ Θεάνθρωπος καὶ μὲ τὸν σταυρικό Του θάνατο τοῦ ξαναχάρισε τὴν δυνατότητα τῆς ἀθανασίας. Γι᾽ αὐτὸ ὁ ἀπόστολος Παῦλος καυχιέται γιὰ τὸν σταυρικὸ θάνατο τοῦ Κυρίου. (πρβλ. Γαλ. 6:14) Καὶ ὁ ὑμνογράφος ἐπίσης τοποθετεῖ στὸ στόμα τοῦ κάθε πιστοῦ τὴν καύχηση γιὰ τὸν Θάνατο καὶ τὴν Ἀνάσταση τοῦ Κυρίου λέγοντας: «…εἰς τὴν Ἔγερσίν σου καυχῶμαι· ὁ γὰρ θάνατός Σου ζωή μου. Παντοδύναμε καὶ φιλάνθρωπε, Κύριε δόξα σοι». (Ἦχος βαρύς. Στιχηρά Ἑσπερινοῦ)

Τὸ χαρμόσυνο μήνυμα τῆς ἑορτῆς τοῦ Πάσχα εἶναι ὅτι ὁ μοναδικὸς σκοπὸς τοῦ Θανάτου καὶ τῆς Ἀναστάσεως τοῦ Χριστοῦ εἶναι ἡ δική μας προσωπικὴ ἀνάσταση. Δηλαδὴ ὁ Χριστὸς ἀναστήθηκε γιὰ νὰ μᾶς ἀναστήσει ἀπὸ τὸν θάνατο τῆς ἁμαρτίας. Γι᾽ αὐτὸ τὸν λόγο, τὸ διαχρονικὸ αἴτημα τῶν πιστῶν εἶναι: «Κύριε, … ὁ ἀναστὰς ἐκ τῶν νεκρῶν, ἀνάστησον ἡμᾶς πεσόντας τῇ ἁμαρτίᾳ…».  (Αἶνοι, ἦχος δ´). Τελικὸς προορισμός μας ἡ εἴσοδός μας στὴν Βασιλεία Του, «ἔνθα οὐκ ἔστι πόνος, οὐ λύπη, οὐ στεναγμός, ἀλλὰ ζωὴ ἀτελεύτητος».

Έτσι ὁ χριστιανός, ὅ,τι κακὸ κι ἄν τοῦ συμβεῖ στὴν ἐπίγεια ζωή του, ἐπειδὴ εἶναι προσανατολισμένος πρὸς τὴν αἰωνιότητα, δὲν μελαγχολεῖ, δὲν χάνει τὴν ἐλπίδα του, ἀλλὰ συνεχίζει μὲ θάρρος τὸν ἀγῶνα του γιὰ τὴν κατάκτηση τῆς ὄντως ζωῆς.

Ἀρρώστια, ἐπιδημία, θλίψη, πόνος, φτώχεια, θάνατος ἐκμηδενίζονται ἀπὸ τὴν προσδοκία τῆς προσωπικῆς μας ἀνάστασης διὰ Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ. Γιατὶ μετὰ τὴν Ἀνάσταση τοῦ Χριστοῦ «ὁ θάνατος ἀφανίστηκε· ἡ νίκη εἶναι πλήρης! Θάνατε, ποὺ εἶναι τὸ κεντρὶ τῆς δύναμής σου; Ἅδη, ποὺ εἶναι ἡ νίκη σου;… Ἄς εὐχαριστήσουμε τὸν Θεὸ ποὺ μᾶς χάρισε τὴν νίκη διὰ τοῦ Κυρίου μας Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ» (1. Κορ. 15:54-55 καὶ 57)

Αὐτὸ τὸ σπουδαῖο γεγονὸς γιορτάζουμε μὲ τόση λαμπρότητα στὴν μεγαλύτερη γιορτὴ τῆς Ὀρθόδοξης Ἐκκλησίας μας, τὸ Πάσχα. Καὶ ὁ ἀναστάσιμος χαιρετισμὸς «Χριστὸς Ἀνέστη – Ἀληθῶς Ἀνέστη», τὸ μήνυμα αὐτὸ θέλει νὰ διαλαλήσει στὰ πέρατα τῆς οἰκουμένης. Ὅτι δηλαδὴ «Ἀνέστη Χριστός, καὶ νεκρὸς οὐδεὶς ἐν τῷ μνήματι. Χριστὸς γὰρ ἐγερθεὶς ἐκ νεκρῶν, ἀπαρχὴ τῶν κεκοιμημένων ἐγένετο. Αὐτῷ ἡ δόξα καὶ τὸ κράτος εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων. Ἀμήν».

Ἐκ μέρους τοῦ Σεβασμιωτάτου Μητροπολίτου Πισιδίας, τῶν κληρικῶν μας καὶ ὅλων τῶν συνεργῶν μας ἐν Κυρίῳ, σᾶς εὔχομαι ὑγεία, ταχεῖα ἀπαλλαγὴ ἐκ τῆς πανδημίας COVID-19  καὶ καλὴ ἀνάσταση.

Ἀδελφοί μου, Χριστὸς ἀνέστη!

Μετὰ πολλῆς ἀγάπης καὶ

ἰδιαζούσης τιμῆς ἐν Χριστῷ ἀναστάντι,

+ ὁ Κορέας Ἀμβρόσιος