The Resurrection Icon so vividly portrays Christ, the Giver of Life, destroying the power of Hades and granting life to those in the tombs, and brings to life the celebration of the new creation in this world for us, and allows us to enter mystically into the New Jerusalem which shines eternally with the glorious light of Christ. Let us continue this great Feast of Feasts, the festival of festivals in our hearts and souls always. After having concluded forty days of Lenten fasting and prayer, the somberness of the Holy Week services, we triumphantly entered into a light filled Church to celebrate this NEW LIFE. During this lengthy Lenten season we were reminded to focus our minds and hearts on holiness, so let us not lose these hard-won disciplines we gained. Let us as brothers and sisters in Christ join hands and continue to enter into the banquet of our Lord. Together let us proclaim the Resurrection of Christ and fill our Pascha basket with this same love and respect for each other and for all. Let us carry it with us to share with everyone we come into contact with. Proclaim Christ’s Resurrection and His love and live this new life with the rejuvenated disciplines we gained. Let us continually fill our Pascha basket with love, compassion and gratitude, so we may continually share and give without hesitation or fear of it emptying. God’s Kingdom is made manifest to all, let us as His family bring it to everyone. In the power and joy of the Resurrection of Christ let us continue to experience this victory of new life in brotherhood and love for all.
| With warm Paschal wishes and love in our Risen Lord, | † Fr. Elias |
