It is the day of Resurrection

It is the day of Resurrection; let us be radiant for the festival and let us embrace one another. Let us say, O brethren, even to those that hate us: Let us forgive all things in the Resurrection; and thus let us cry: Christ is risen from the dead, by death He has trampled down death, and on those in the tombs He has bestowed life.

(Paschal Hymn)

 

As we continue to celebrate our Lord’s glorious Resurrection, we do well to remember that His victory over death opens for us all the possibility of new life, transformation by His grace. He “bestows life’ to all who turn to Him in repentance. There’s a connection between Christ’s death and resurrection, and God’s forgiveness, and thus there’s a connection between God’s forgiveness of each of us, and our capacity to forgive others. We begin Lent each year with the Vespers of Forgiveness, during which we seek each other’s forgiveness and in turn forgive one another. This theme of forgiveness is also true of the Paschal Season. Recognizing God’s infinite love and forgiveness of us made manifest in the Cross and Resurrection, we too are called to “forgive all things in the Resurrection.” We are called to embrace one another in love, even those that hate us. Admittedly, this is hard. In our own strength, we find it difficult to let go of past or present hurts. But Christ has trampled down death by death. He’s given us new life, and a new way to live, empowered by His grace. We are reminded that among Jesus’ last words on the Cross were these: “Father, forgive them, for the do not know what they are doing.” There’s a sense in which Jesus is not here referring only to those who crucified Him, but to all of us. Apart from Christ, none of us really knows what we’re doing. With Him, and sharing in the new life of His Resurrection, we can begin to grow in love and forgiveness. With prayer and open hearts, we can, and do, make progress in our capacity to embrace one another, and to forgive, as we’ve been forgiven.

Blessings,

Fr. David