5 parts of Celebration of Sunday Part I – Resurrection of Christ Archbishop Elias|بیشتر

5 parts of Celebration of Sunday Part I – Resurrection of Christ Archbishop Elias OSBMr Ukrainian ortodox Greek-Catholic Church (UOGCC) www.uogcc.org.ua 1/3 a) Introduction –Resurrection of Christ (5 minutes) In spirit we can see the stone tomb on Golgotha. During Saturday night it is guarded by the Roman soldiers. The chief priests and Pharisees said to Pilate about the dead Jesus: “While He was still alive, He said: ‘After three days I will rise!’ Therefore command that the tomb be made secure.” (Mt 27:63-65) The night is silent. What happens in the spiritual sphere? After Jesus’ death His spirit descended from the Father’s hands into the place called Sheol, or Hades (Hell). In this place He broke the rule of the angel who held in captivity the spirits of the dead. The Apostles’ Creed says: Christ “descended into Hell” (Sheol). Thereafter He ascended from the world of Sheol into this temporal world. In that moment His body too, which thus far had been lying in the tomb, was raised and changed. This changed body passed through the stone tomb because it was no longer subject to physical laws. The moment of resurrection confirmed that Christ’s Gospel is true and that Christ is true God. It took place in absolute silence and secrecy. Not even the guards knew when Christ had come out of the tomb. The resurrection was accompanied by no external signs: lightning, thunders, earthquake... Just as God created the universe out of nothing and established due order in it, His Almightiness worked here as well. Jesus Christ died and rose again. Each of us encounters the reality of death. Even your relatives will once stand at your graveside and mourn. Dark graves give us a fright. Jesus, however, assures us that we shall be raised. Our body will not only be raised by God’s Almightiness but it will also be glorified and it will be like the raised body of Christ. This promise fills us with inexpressible joy. Jesus is risen indeed! And we too shall be raised and partake of the infinite happiness and joy in heaven. b) 5 minutes - A verse from God’s Word We all repeat 5 minutes: “Christ is risen from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.” (1Cor 15:20) c) 5 minutes - Prayer with God’s Word We all say together: “Christ is risen from the dead!”, and one of us adds: “He is risen indeed!” d) 5 minutes: Prayer of the heart We sing “Hallelujah, Shema Israel” (During the song I rejoice in Christ’s resurrection.) 2/3 a) Introduction – The risen Christ appears to His mother The Scripture is silent about the risen Christ meeting His mother. In the hour of His death she stood by the cross and died spiritually together with Him as His but also our mother. If the Scripture testifies that we were raised up together with Christ, then in the first place it is true of her who is full of grace (cf. Lk 1:28) and who died spiritually together with Him on Golgotha. In the morning the women came to the tomb, where first an angel and later on the risen Jesus Himself appeared to them. The Scripture witnesses that Jesus’ mother was not with the women. Why? Because in the moment of resurrection she not only was the first to whom Jesus appeared, as the Tradition of the Eastern Church has it too, but at the same time she experienced the mystery of both her and our resurrection with Christ (cf. Eph 2:6; Col 2:12; 3:1). This mystery concerns us too and is connected with the mystery of baptism. Resurrection together with Jesus does not just mean that Jesus appeared to His mother; the substance of resurrection consists in the fact that she receives a new life – the divine life of the risen Christ. To a certain extent she receives this new life even for those who will receive Christ and be born through faith of water and the Holy Spirit. The mother of Jesus is the first to experience the spiritual reality of this mystery. When Jesus gave her to us as our mother, through her He also gave us Him Himself as well as all graces and spiritual gifts. The Virgin Mary is the mother of Christ but also your mother (cf. Jn 19:26-27). Now rejoice together with her in the resurrection of Christ. b) We all repeat 5 minutes: “O pure Mother of God, glory in the resurrection of Him whom you bore.” c) 5 minutes: We all say together: “Jesus”, and one of us adds: “You are now in Your mother and she is in You”. d) 5 minutes: We sing “Shine forth, O new Jerusalem”. Jesus’ and our mother is the new Jerusalem. In spirit, together with Mary, I experience the mystery of her resurrection with Jesus and meeting with Him. 3/3 a) Introduction – Our resurrection with Christ In His death Jesus Christ was identified with our nature – apart from sin – and we also were buried with Him and with Him we were raised too. The prophet Hosea foretold it: “On the third day He will raise us up, that we may live in His sight.” (6:2) Our p

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