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Paschal Encyclical 2015

This document is a Paschal letter from Metropolitan IAKOVOS of Chicago. In 3 sentences: The letter discusses how Christ's death on the cross, burial, and resurrection restores the world from death's dominion, and how we take up our own crosses to follow Christ. It notes that for many Christians proclaiming the resurrection is a dangerous act, as they still face persecution and death for their faith, and calls readers to have the courage of martyrs in boldly preaching Christ risen without fear. The letter concludes by greeting all the faithful with the paschal hymn that Christ is risen on this holy feast of Pascha.

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40 views1 page

Paschal Encyclical 2015

This document is a Paschal letter from Metropolitan IAKOVOS of Chicago. In 3 sentences: The letter discusses how Christ's death on the cross, burial, and resurrection restores the world from death's dominion, and how we take up our own crosses to follow Christ. It notes that for many Christians proclaiming the resurrection is a dangerous act, as they still face persecution and death for their faith, and calls readers to have the courage of martyrs in boldly preaching Christ risen without fear. The letter concludes by greeting all the faithful with the paschal hymn that Christ is risen on this holy feast of Pascha.

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Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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HOLY PASCHA, 2015

Dearly Beloved,
by death trampling down death
The words of the Paschal hymn reveal a great mystery, that of the restoration of the
world from the dominion of death by our Lords sacrificial exaltation on the Cross, his
burial, and Third-day Rising. Yet as members of the Body of Christ, the Holy Church,
there has always been the consciousness that we ourselves take upon ourselves the Cross
with Christ. Indeed, the Lord call us to take up our own cross to follow him.
We see in our world today, as we have sadly commented on for several years now, that it
is still often necessary for that cross to be something literal. We are both saddened to
learn that Christians are still being killed in this world simply due to their faith in Christ,
but we rejoice as well: the crowns of glory they receive is the very means by which the
Church overcomes the world. We deplore the violence of persecutors; we commend the
faithfulness of martyrs. Indeed, we may give thanks to God for their lives and faith, and
the example that just might shake off the complacency of nominal Christians
everywhere.
We often take for granted the ability to proclaim the Resurrection in our greetings, our
hymns, our gathering with friends and family on Pascha. Yet to proclaim these words is,
in fact, a dangerous act for many of our sisters and brothers in the Lord. Let us,
therefore, resolve the same steadfast courage exhibited by the new martyrs of our own
era, and let us boldly preach Christ risen from the dead without fear of embarrassment,
without fear of retribution or insult, without fear even of the risk of death. It is our life
in the risen Christ that should be moving us, a life of love for one another, and even the
least of our fellow human beings. Let us therefore express that love that endures all
things, and fears nothing, because it is through this martyrdomwitnessthat we shall
prove that the darkness cannot overcome the Light of the world.
Reaching out to embrace all the faithful, with the joy of the Unwaning Light of our Lord,
we greet all with the triumphant hymn and the Good News: Christ is Risen! Truly He is
Risen!
With Paternal Blessings this Pascha,

Metropolitan IAKOVOS of Chicago

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