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Ekhristos Anesti, Alisos Anesti.
Christ is Risen, Truly He is Risen.
Feast of Resurrection
27
April 2008
Papal Message
His Holiness Pope Shenouda
III
Pope of Alexandria & Patriarch of the See of St. Mark
My children
and brethren in the lands of immigration, clergy and laity.
My sincere
greetings to you on the occasion of the Glorious Feast of
Resurrection. May God make it a blessing to you
all and a continual source of spiritual joy.
The
resurrection of the Lord Christ was a glorious and joyous
resurrection. It was with a glorified Body, with
which He was able to exit from the tomb while it was shut; and He
was able to come out of the grave-cloths while leaving them
organized. With this Body, He entered the upper
room, where the disciples were, while the doors were shut; and He
granted them peace and blessing. With this
glorified Body, He ascended to heaven and was not over-powered by
the gravitational force.
We rejoice
in the resurrection of the Lord Christ for He abolished death, and
gave us the promise to be like Him, having life after death and an
eternal life also with a glorified body similar to His resurrection,
as St. Paul the Apostle said about the Lord: “…who will transform
our lowly body that it may be conformed to His glorious body…”
(Philippians 3:21) He also said that it is
raised in glory … it is raised in power … it is raised a spiritual
body … (I Corinthians
15: 43-44).
Truly, the
resurrection of the Lord Christ was a deposit towards our
resurrection and the first-fruits of it (I Corinthians
15:20).
While we rejoice in the glory of His resurrection, we also
rejoice for what will be ours in likeness of this glory, but each
one according to his order.
Let us all
then live the life that qualifies us for this glory, knowing that as
we get deeper in the spiritual life, the more our glory increases in
the eternal life. For all people in eternity
will not be of the one rank, but as the Apostle said, “for one star
differs from another star in glory.” (I Corinthians 15:41)
Therefore,
we must live – as befitting us – in the life of righteousness, and
grow in it day after day, making perfection our aim, which can be
reached according to the commandment of the Lord “Therefore you
shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect.”
(Matthew 5:48)
May the
Lord grant you grace so that you walk in the life of righteousness,
holiness, perfection and be an example to many.
Be well in
the Lord, absolved by His Holy Spirit, and remember me in your
prayers. |
