Pascha, (the Lord's passover) is only called Easter, so it can be related somehow to Western religious categories. Sure, it is the annual observance of the resurrection of Christ, but for the Orthodox, every Lord's day (kyriakí, Sunday) is a blatant reminder of that fact. Notice, I said "fact" and not "event," because for the Orthodox Christian, tho it happened historically, the resurrection of Christ is not proven or believed mainly for the empty tomb. In a missionary blog called "Under the Acacias" there's a wonderful posting that explains what we mean by the resurrection. Rather than reinvent it, I just want to turn your attention to the original—check this out:
At the "Under the Acacias" page, move down to the posting for April 16.
Pascha, running from the Saturday of the raising of Lazaros, right on thru "Great Week" and climaxing at the Vigil of Pascha (midnight of the Great Sabbath) was once again overflowing with lessons for this pupil (mathitís).
Back-tracking just a bit into the 40 Days ("Sarakostí", Lent), what did I find out there in my desert? I found that my entire life, despite my efforts to improve myself in my own eyes and in God's, has still been a losing struggle with the flesh, that built-in law of failure that spoils my every good intention and action. This, above all else, proves to me my need of "outside help." And that help has been provided, that is, the cross of Jesus, by which I am crucified to the world in my sinful flesh ("sarks" in Greek, really sounds like what it is!), and the world to me. After that revelation, it made the next step so obvious and easy.
Father Jerry gave us a good word at the service of the Veneration of the Cross on Thursday night. Having discovered that all our efforts really do not bring us any closer to God, we have no choice but to lay them down at the foot of the Cross, and let Jesus take over in our lives, because we have no other helper or mediator but Him. Wow! That coming from a presbyter of the ancient church which has given us more commandments and rules than any other Christian church. Why doesn't that seem ironic? Because it's consistent with the "theoría" of Orthodoxy: God gave Adam and Eve ONE commandment; they broke it. Then, He tried again with Moses and gave us TEN commandments; we broke them. Then, the people of Israel were given 613 commandments; no one could keep them all—except the One, the God-Man, Jesus of Nazareth, the Christ. And what did the One do? He picked us up and put us back on the road to Paradise, and gave us only ONE commandment, "to love one another."
Wait a minute! Why all these commandments and rules in the Orthodox church? The church that has the strictest self-discipline for our spiritual training also has the most merciful and gentle way of correcting us. The rules of fasting and prayer and so forth are to build up the Body of Christ, to keep it together on the trail of salvation; yet we are truthfully reminded, these commandments are only expedient for the journey, but what the Lord wants from us is in the end very simple, that "we love one another, as I have loved you," because "love covers all offenses." And so, when we fail in the discipline, we do not throw it away. We take a moment to remind ourselves of Jesus and what He has done for us, and then following His call, we pick ourselves up, rejoin the flock, and follow the good Shepherd. When we look back, we don't see a road paved with the human commandments and rules by which the Lord disciplined us "as the children He loves." No, all we see is the Way, the narrow way one lane wide, the one way street of the ONE commandment, the new ONE commandment of the new Paradise, "love one another."
So, when I went on Friday to venerate the "epitáphion" (tomb of Christ), I took my entire life, with everything I did or tried to do, good and bad alike, which was nailed to the Cross, and I laid that life, that "old man", that "flesh", in the tomb. When I accepted Christ, I agreed to let Him put the "old man" to death. Along with Christ's body, my flesh lay in the tomb. That's what I came away with, the knowledge that my sins were nailed with Jesus to the Tree. Through the resurrection, that Tree has become the new Tree of Life in the Paradise of God. How that can be is not something that anyone can put into words, really. Except that we now have God's permission to "take from the tree, and live."
For forty days we did without food of animal origin (except for seafood, a strange anomaly of the Greeks!), no meat, fish, milk, cheese or eggs. This is called the food of paradise. Actually, I quite like it and, I think, most people today would prefer that diet for health reasons. But we were also supposed to pray, and give alms. I "broke" the fast at least half a dozen times for such things as "love's bread," and one of my son's birthday dinner, but that is in our power to do. Now that "bright week" is here, we're supposed to gorge ourselves on all the items we denied ourselves during the forty. This is nonsense! No, we just have been commanded "to live in the land where everything is permitted" because "perfect love drives out all fear" and that "love is not self-indulgent." Yes, tonight we will have some lamb souvláki (shishkabobs), drink a little Sangría, not worry about anything being "forbidden," and we will try to recognize that feeling, and carry it forward as we live the coming new year in God's presence, so we will be able to hear His voice calling our names in the Garden, and not be afraid to present ourselves before him, unashamed. He has work for us to do.
One last comment. When the Lord called me the last time, He taught me this: In serving the Lord, there is absolutely no loss, not now, not ever. Sure, we can "lose" material goods, maybe our reputation will be spoiled by the company we keep, we might even lose our health, or our earthly life. But it is what the Lord gives us that we really keep "unto life eternal." Never and nothing that we give ourselves, or pride ourselves on, is "for keeps." I was surprised, but very glad, to hear Father Paul proclaim exactly this message at the end of the Paschal liturgy last night. "There is absolutely no loss in serving the Lord, so let us run to do it." Yes, Father Paul! Ameen!
Christ is risen from the dead, by death trampling down death, and to those in the tombs, bestowing life.
I think we're on the trail to something very good here.
Glory to God!
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