Apr 24, 20222 min read

Christ Is Risen! Truly, He Has Risen!

The Bright Resurrection of Christ! The Passover (Pascha) of the Lord. He has led us from death to life by means of His resurrection. "...trampling down death - by death..."

"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it. There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. This man came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all through him might believe. He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light. That was the true Light which gives light to every man coming into the world. He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him.

But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. John bore witness of Him and cried out, saying, "This was He of whom I said, 'He who comes after me is preferred before me, for He was before me.' " And of His fullness we have all received, and grace for grace. For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.

Holy Gospel According to St. John the Theologian - Chapter 1 vss. 1-17

Commentary by Saint Theophan the Recluse

Pascha, the Lord’s Pascha! The Lord has led us from death to life by means of His resurrection. And this resurrection “the angels hymn in the heavens,” having seen the brightness of the deified human nature in the glory foreordained for it, in the countenance of the Lord and Redeemer. All who truly believe in Him and cleave to Him with all their soul are changed into His image by the power of His resurrection. Glory, O Lord, to Thy most glorious resurrection! The angels hymn, rejoicing with us and foreseeing the filling of their assembly. Vouchsafe us also with pure heart, O Lord, to glorify Thee resurrected; seeing in Thy resurrection the severing of our consuming decay, the sowing of a most bright new life, and the dawn of future eternal glory, into which Thou hast gone before us by Thy Resurrection for our sake. The tongues not only of men but also of angels are have insufficient strength to express Thine unspeakable mercy toward us, O most gloriously resurrected Lord!