You have stretched out Your hands, O Savior,
and united what before had been divided;
and by clothing Yourself in a winding sheet
You have saved even those held captive
by the tomb, who cry:
“None is holy but You, O Lord.”
– Holy Saturday Kanon, Ode III

HOLY PASCHA 2004

To the Reverend Clergy and Faithful of the Diocese of New England

Dearly beloved:

Christ is risen! Indeed He is risen!

I greet each and every one of you with the greeting which has been joyously exchanged since the angel at the empty tomb told the disciples that the Lord Jesus had been raised from the dead. Their amazement and wonder turned into pure and unadulterated joy as the magnitude of the moment began to dawn on them. So, also, we are filled this day with the same joy.

As the verse above taken from the Holy Saturday Kanon reminds us, the Lord Jesus Christ voluntarily went to crucifixion so that He might unite that which had been divided. And what was divided? All of creation — paradise had been reduced to darkness, sin and death.

But no more. Where darkness, sin and death had reigned, they have been overthrown by light, forgiveness and life. The One who cannot be contained by the heavens allowed Himself to be contained by the tomb, in order to free those held captive by the tomb. We are those captives who have been freed on this great and glorious Day.

It is very popular at this moment in history to speak of the “Passion of the Christ.” The Church, and every person baptized into her, knows that Passion. But we must never forget that the Lord Jesus Christ, before His voluntary Passion, walked this earth, performing miracles, teaching and preaching salvation.

We must also never forget that the Passion led to the Resurrection. The two cannot be separated, whether in history or in our spiritual lives. The quiet, ascetic “passion” of Great Lent must be fulfilled in our entrance into and celebration of the Lord’s, and hence, our very own, Resurrection. Our Lenten efforts and repentance must be fulfilled in the spiritual reality of Resurrection, or the efforts we have made are but dietary restrictions and a misguided obedience to numerous “dos” and “don’ts.”

May the risen Son of God shine brightly in the hearts of all true believers. May the glory of the Resurrection be a reality in the life of anyone who claims to be a follower of Christ.

Christ is risen! Indeed He is risen!

Yours in the risen Christ,

†Herman
Archbishop of Washington
Metropolitan of All America and Canada
Locum tenens of the Diocese of New England