PASCHAL MESSAGE Of His Holiness ALEXY II, Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia, To the Bishops, Pastors, Monks and All Faithful Children Of the Russian Orthodox Church

PATRIARCH ALEXY II OF MOSCOW AND ALL RUSSIA

Russian version

PASCHAL MESSAGE
by His Holiness Patriarch Alexy II of Moscow and All Russia
to archpastors, pastors, the monastics and all children
of the Russian Orthodox Church

Come, let us worship the Word of God
Who was born of the Father before all ages:
for He has endured the Cross and was subject to burial
as He desired, and rose from the dead;
Save me, who has erred!

Canticle for ‘Lord, I have cried’
from Paschal Vespers

CHRIST IS RISEN!

Beloved in the Risen Christ my brother bishops, venerable pastors, esteemed monks and nuns, all faithful children of the Russian Orthodox Church! From the depths of my soul, exultant during these joyful days, I congratulate you on the great victory of Life over death, of light over darkness – the radiant feast of the Resurrection of Christ!

Now for all the faithful again is fulfilled the promise of Christ the Saviour, given to His disciples on the night before His voluntary suffering: ‘I will see you again and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy from you’ (John 16:22). This joy is fulfilled during the holy days of Pascha, when hearts are open to greet Christ Who comes to us and from their fullness our lips say, ‘Truly Christ is risen!’

The Cross of Christ appears before our spiritual gaze as a banner of the great and saving love of God. As the Gospel tells us, ‘for God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life’ (John 3:16). And the Life-Giving Cross of Christ – the symbol of our redemption – has shone forth with the blinding light of the Resurrection. In this light all is viewed differently: in tearing asunder the every-day grind of cares and problems, this light illumines what is important in our lives, i.e. how far each of us has moved along the path to the Heavenly Fatherland, were ‘our paths’ straight and have we done all we can to obtain salvation for our souls. Illumined by the light of the Resurrection of Christ, the cross that each of us bears in following the Lord becomes lighter – the cross of every-day cares, infirmities, worries and troubles, the cross of ministering to our neighbours.

The Risen Christ calls us to submit to the law of Divine Love and with new strength love all of those whom Divine Providence sends us on our way through life, without dividing them into neighbour and stranger but by ministering to all as though we minister to Christ Himself.

It is hard to follow the way worthy of a Christian; for this we need to have, as St. John Chrysostom put it, a ‘wisdom-loving soul, vigilant, and irreproachable in all things’. Yet it is only on this path that we can attain the desired goal of acquiring the Kingdom of Heaven, of entering Life Everlasting. And what have we to fear, if God is with us, Who has granted to us the eternal joy of Pascha? What can separate us from the love of God? Our sins? Yet the All-Merciful Saviour forgives all and calls us to Himself. ‘Hard-heartedness?’ Yet He comes to greet us in mercy, answering the prayers of those who call out to Him, ‘Lord! Help my unbelief!’ Every-day troubles? Yet they disappear like a fleeting dream and they are condemned to oblivion in Life Eternal. The death of those close to us? Yet those who have died in Christ now enjoy the Divine Light in the Heavenly Kingdom and today celebrate with us evenly Christ’s Resurrection.

Dear brothers and sisters! Today, as in the first centuries of Christianity, those who do not know Christ are entering His Church and come into the ‘wisdom of truth’. And we are commanded by the apostle to be called to account for our faith with gentleness and reverence (1 Peter 3:15).

Let us with all our strength endeavour to know the great spiritual treasury of our holy Orthodox faith. Let us labour unceasingly to master our heritage, common to many Orthodox peoples, and let us strengthen our unity in the world, which so often departs from the truth of Christ. In our striving to preserve our Eastern Orthodox Christian tradition, our culture, there is no challenge to setting ourselves against the world around us. On the contrary, we call upon all peoples to share in our joy (Matthew 25:21). Orthodox Christianity always has and always will bring to people goodness and peace, joy and love.

In fulfilling our duty to serve the Church of God, let us tirelessly combat evil which is active in the world – the rebellion against the Truth of Christ, the cult of violence and sin, criminality and immorality, greed for gain and the worship of material wealth. Let us follow the Saviour’s commandment to make common cause in caring for the infirm and those who suffer, especially our elderly citizens, refugees and invalids, and children deprived of the love of their parents.

In searching for solutions to the global problems that threaten us all – the growth of terrorism, international and social enmity – our Holy Church is prepared to take a most active part. We are open to cooperation with all those who strive towards the goal of a world ruled not by pride and hatred, not money and goods, not ambitions and ill will, but accord, self-sacrifice, righteousness and love.

Beloved in the Lord Your Graces the bishops, all-honourable fathers, dear brothers and sisters! Again and again from the depths of my heart I congratulate you with the most radiant feast of Pascha! On this day of our spiritual triumph let our hearts be filled with joy at the Risen Lord and Saviour and let the radiant Paschal message resounds in all places:

Christ is risen! Truly He is risen!

PATRIARCH OF MOSCOW AND ALL RUSSIA

Pascha 2002 AD
Moscow