Paschal Epistle of Metropolitan Laurus,
First Hierarch of the Russian Orthodox Church Abroad

Christ is risen!

"Come, all ye faithful, and let us worship the holy Resurrection of Christ. For, lo! by the Cross hath joy come to all the world" (Paschal Matins, "Having beheld the Resurrection of Christ")
Joy and exultation have shone forth upon the whole world. And the hymns of the Church during these days accordingly call us to spiritual joy: "This is the day that the Lord hath made; let us rejoice and be glad therein." And the whole world, visible and invisible, rejoices and exults in the rising of Christ.

"Let the heavens be glad as is meet, and let the earth rejoice; and let the whole world, visible and invisible, keep festival, for Christ, the eternal gladness, is risen."
Since we celebrate the slaying of death, the destruction of hades, the Holy Church rejoices and joins chorus, and calls all to celebrate the joyous triumph of the Resurrection of Christ. It invites both the angels and men, the living and the dead, to join together prayerfully now to hymn the all-radiant Resurrection of Christ.

Who can fail to rejoice, seeing that, after the terrible sufferings He underwent (which we remembered with the Holy Church during Passion Week), Christ the Savior has risen? This miraculous event provides us with the basis for the resurrection which is to come, and fills us also with paschal joy.

Our Lord Jesus Christ suffered, and by His sufferings He teaches us that without suffering we will not be able to pass through this earthly life, this vale of tears and sorrows. But after this earthly life, after all our sufferings, our own resurrection will follow--we also will arise as our Savior arose.
Therefore, let us rejoice and join chorus, brethren and sisters, for Christ has vanquished hades and death; He has thrown wide for us the gates of paradise, and unto all who have cleansed themselves of sins and iniquities with a pure heart ‹unto them all has He granted forgiveness.

This is why the Holy Church calls us to spiritual triumph: "Jesus having risen from the tomb, as He foretold, hath given us everlasting life and great mercy."

With all my heart I greet our archpastors, pastors, and our whole God-loving flock, with these great and salvific days of the radiant Resurrection of Christ.

Truly Christ is risen!

+ Metropolitan Laurus

The Pascha of Christ, 2003