Pashal Epistle 2008 |
Christ is Risen!Lets go back almost two thousand years! Dateline Jerusalem -- April 27 A.D. You are there. The city is quiet this morning, after a peaceful Sabbath yesterday, but a rather tumultuous week leading up to this year's Passover. First there was a week ago. The latest in a long line of pretenders attempted a coup, entering the city on the finest of transportation, a beautiful, young white foal to the cries of the assembled multitudes, proclaiming him King of Judea. As the citiy was full of the faithful, who had journeyed here for the Passover, it was a strategic move on the part of the Jewish pretender and his followers, maximum coverage in the shortest period of time. It seemed like this Joshua son of Joseph just might be successful at what so many others had attempted. About this time, word began circulating throughout the city that this Joshua was more than the others who had preceeded him. News of the raising of a dead man, Lazarus by name, said to be a cousin of the would-be Messiah. This Lazarus is present in the city, and he and other sources who say that they had attended his funeral and could vouch for the fact that he was truly dead 10 days ago are circulating throughout the crowds. Then, there was the tumult that he caused at the Temple. 'King' Joshua attacked the very power elite who do business in the Temple outer court, calling them thieves and liars. He claimed that the Temple of 'His Father' had been defiled by the very people that keep a healthy commerce alive in this, the most thriving Metropolis of the region. Soldiers were called to put down the resulting disturbance, but no arrests had been made. Later, things seemed to have quieted down a little. Jerusalem at Passover is always a place of controlled chaos. Then, on the day before Passover, the Great Sanhedrin has been called. They charge this Messianic pretender with blasphemy and order the Roman authorities to put him to death. The Roman Governor, Pilate is reluctant to get involved with the affairs of religion in the highly volatile region. His wife has cautioned him not to have anything to do with this case. But, once he is threatened with exposure to Rome as a traitor for not putting this erstwhile revolutionary to death. The Roman government put the malfesant Peasant King to death. But now, what has happened. Not only did the sky darken unexpectedly the other afternoon, but this weekend, many families in Jerusalem have been visited with their loved ones that have been buried recently, not ghosts but really alive and well. Theres a sense of wonder in the air. And now, there are rumors from the followers of the Gallilean that he is risen to and he has been seen repeatedly by them. So here is the question, what will you do? In the Orthodox Church, we celebrate Great and Holy Week in the eternal present, not in the past. Last Sunday, Christ was proclaimed King by the throngs in Jerusalem. On Friday, a crowd of religious Jews shouted for his death and actively assisted in His death. Now, the city is divided between those who believe in Jesus of Nazareth as their Lord and King and those who reject him as an imposter. Which group are you in, What will you do? Proclaim him as your Lord and King and dedicate your life to serving him and spreading the Good News about Him. Or reject him as a dead imposter. What will you do? Christ is Risen from the dead, Trampling down death by death, and on those in the tombs bestowing Life! +SYMEON
Archbishop of Denver, Metropolitan of the USA and the Western Hemisphere
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Roswell, New Mexico U.S.A.
Metropolitan Symeon (Ioannovskij),
Our Archbishop