Christ is Risen! Indeed, He is Risen!
Venerable bishops, clergy, monastics and laity,
The celebration of the great feast of Pascha prompts us to look back to our recent Lenten journey and reflect on the answers to the questions with which we began the journey across the Ocean of the Great Fast.
What is the truth of our lives? What does justice mean in our lives — individually, corporately and universally? What happened to our zeal for the Gospel? Have we fully opened the gift of faith and salvation given so freely to us in Baptism? Whether we answered these questions correctly or not — today, Pascha enlightens us and we are welcomed to participate in the light of the feast of the Resurrection of the Lord.
Did we fast from falsehood, criticism and gossip in the Church, the family, the workplace, and even among our friends? Did we give alms to the poor and the less fortunate to combat the many injustices in society today? Did we pray for and also encourage our neighbors who seem to have no faith? Did we proclaim the good news of the Gospel with zeal? Did we make an enemy a friend during this Great Fast? Whether we did or did not — today, Pascha enlightens us and we are welcomed to participate in the light of the feast of the Resurrection of the Lord.
Pascha is the feast of community. Pascha encourages us to embrace one another — those who love us and those who hate us. Pascha gives us confidence to call brother and sister — those in the community and those on the periphery. Pascha empowers us to be forgiven and to forgive everything and everyone — nothing and no one is excluded. Pascha frees us. Pascha heals us. Pascha assures us of our own resurrection. Pascha is our joy.
Let us joyfully greet one another on this most sacred day — Pascha — Christ is risen from the dead! By death he trampled Death; and to those in the tombs he granted life.
Asking the risen Lord to fill our hearts with the joy of the resurrection , I remain
In the name of the Lord!
+Basil
Metropolitan Archbishop of Pittsburgh
