CHRIST IS RISEN (Pascha Sunday)
“Let us arise in the deep dawn (Ορθρίσωμεν όρθρου βαθέος / Утренюем утренюю глубоку) and, instead of myrrh, offer a hymn to the Lord, and we shall behold Christ, the Sun of Righteousness, Who causes life to dawn for all.” (Eirmos of Ode 5 of the Paschal Canon)
This Easter morning I keep thinking, “instead of myrrh, offer a hymn to the Lord…” Indeed, initially we were overcome by grief, having seen the horrors of the crucifixion, and we thought we needed to bring myrrh, to bury Him properly. But He did something beyond our expectations, and beyond our understanding, because that is what our Lord does: He “causes life to dawn for all,” even from our darkest places and situations. So, all we have to do this morning is offer Him praise. We offer Him our wonder. And our gratitude, that He is “not here,” where we expected Him to be, “among the dead.” Let me embrace the new life beyond my understanding, which shines from the Tomb today, when I let go of my own thinking and expectations, and turn instead to see what our death-trampling Lord is actually doing among us. Thank You, Lord, for bringing Your light into our darkness, and life from our deadness.
Christ is risen, dear friends!
