Friends, and even annual visitors, and as St.
John and his homily mentioned last night, even
at the 11th hour you are welcome. And I greet
you because this is a glorious, splendorous,
incredibly important feast day. referred to as
the Feast of Feasts, the resurrection of our
Lord Jesus Christ. Every commemoration of the
Church, every celebration, none, however, can
compare with the glory, the beauty, the meaning
and significance of this High Holy Day. In fact,
all church celebrations are based on this feast
day. The day we joyfully and triumphantly recognize
Christ, the Savior of our world. For us who believe
in Christ the Redeemer, the question raised by
the Old Testament, Prophet Job. If a man dies,
shall he live again? If a man dies, shall he
live again? And that answer has been given. Factually,
historically, and categorically. In the revelation
of Christ. Conquering death. It is the very center.
The very essence. The very core. The very epicenter
of our faith. Without the resurrection. The teaching
on the incarnation of God becomes a myth. Without
the resurrection, Christ's teaching's authority
is no more nor less than any religious teacher
who lived. Without Christ's resurrection, there
would have been no Christian church. There would
have been no Christian Bible. Without the resurrection,
Christ's death on the cross would be but another
tragedy in history. But the fact is, He conquered
death. And because of that, it gives meaning
to everything we do. Our worship services, our
dogma, our doctrine. Everything, everything.
It gives validity to what Christ said he is,
that I am the resurrection of life. And St. Paul,
in his... Writings in Corinthians mentions this.
If Christ is not risen, then our preaching is
empty. Notice, if Christ had not resurrected,
then our preaching would be futile. And our faith
would be empty. But then he goes on to say, they
who have fallen asleep in Christ, if he had not
risen, then death is the last word. You're gone.
Death is death. But Paul goes on to say, Our
faith is not empty. It's not meaningless. Let
me take you back to the first Pascha morning
when the mirror -bearing women went to anoint
the dead body of Christ. As they came near to
the tomb, They saw that the boulder blocking
the entrance was gone. And then when they went
in, they did not see his body. And suddenly there
appeared two radiant angels saying, why do you
seek the dead? Why do you seek the living among
the dead? He is not here. He is risen. Go. Go
tell his disciples. Just as I am saying to you.
Go. Tell the world that Christ is risen. These
three words. Christ is risen. Has brought inexpressible
joy. To his disciples. These three words, he
is risen, are words of victory. Words which continue
to ring out in the corridors of time. Ring out
proclaiming Christ is risen. These three words.
gave hope, meaning, and salvation, and above
all, gave a transforming life to those who recognized
him as the Savior. Christ said, because I live.
you shall live too. As in Adam all die, said
the great evangelist Paul, so in Christ shall
we be made alive. Marvelous words. I am the resurrection
and the life, said Jesus. He who believes in
me Shall never die. True. Death. Is a biological
fact. We have to contend with. But my dear people.
It has lost its meaning. For we are destined
to be with Christ. And his resurrection. Has
in no way altered that fact. That death. It's
not the last word. Notice we still sing in the
present tense. Christ is risen. Not was, but
is risen. Trampling down death by death and upon
those in the tomb bestowing life. You know, one
of the more remarkable and to me one of the most
obvious encouraging and inspiring things. When
I read and continue to do so with those who were
marched into the Siberian tundra, exiled, or
those who were forced to live years after years
in the gulag, or those who were marched into
the gas chambers of Auschwitz. The remarkable
thing is that they had praise on their lips,
singing, Christ is risen. That's reality. It
gave them hope. It gave them courage to endure
mockery, to endure every form of persecution,
even martyrdom. And they endured these trials
according to the accounts. And I have heard,
going back in my first parish, I have heard,
The Russians who have. Spent time in Goliath.
Telling me. Even. Even at the worst moments.
Somehow. The word. Had gotten out. And there
was a priest. In one of the cells. And he started
to sing. Christ is risen. And suddenly. All of
the cells were. filled with this incredible joy,
singing Christos was Christ. After our Lord had
raised Lazarus from the tomb, he said to those
who witnessed this miracle, he said, unbind him,
loose him. And I say unto you, there are those
millions and millions who are still bound in
their insecurities and in their sins. They're
still wrapped and bound with doubt and despair
and fear. But if you listen carefully. The voice
from the risen Christ is still heard. Unbind
him. So therefore I say to you, away with gloom.
Away with uncertainty. Away with despair. Away
with fear. Because the victory of Christ is our
victory. His resurrection is our resurrection.
His resurrection is the assurance that life in
spite of all has meaning. And death is not the
last word. Because death does not lead to nothingness,
but rather to the vestibule of paradise. Pascha
is the historical declaration that Christ is
not a past memory, not a past figure of history,
but a living, reigning, present, life -giving
spirit. Can anyone deny the joy that was with
us last night? You saw complete darkness. And
then all of a sudden, Father Lawrence comes out
with a light. And then there's a sea of light.
The darkness could not overcome the light. And
that is true with Christ's resurrection over
death. You see, the resurrection explains who
we are. The resurrection tells us that we are
co -heirs with the risen Christ who had liberated
us from the eternal pangs of death and breathed
upon us the life of light and the life of eternal
life. of eternal beauty, with the angels escorting
us to the throne of mercy. And so, I say to you,
let us affirm this. Let us reaffirm what we believe
by all singing, Christ is risen from the dead.
Thank you.