A blessed joyfulness moves me today, in which I repeat the word of the prophet:” this is the day the Lord has made! Come, let us rejoice and be glad in it. This is the day which is unlike any before, and which none after will resemble! This is the Great Feast; the boast of its kin! This is the the great joy that is given today to the Church!

Welcome, O New Day, on which the power of the darkness is undone!. Welcome, O day unlike any other, which destroys the power of the aged night! Welcome, O Radiant Day, bringing the beautiful News! Welcome, O Consoler of the mournful, O Gladdener of the sorrowful, O gatherer of the lost, O Conveyor of the far, O Renewer of the weary, O encourager of the fearful, O Planter of the good seed in the hearing of the disciples!.

Welcome, O Day which has no evening! O Happy Morning which twilight never saddens! Welcome, O day which death does not overcome. O Rising which meets no fall! Welcome, O first-Born of Days, with whose gifts both worlds adorn themselves. Death is lowered and life arises; Sheol is shut, Baptism opened; the Left Hand is deserted and the Right Hand thunders. The other day the Shepherd was beaten, and His lambs were scattered, today the wolves have fled, and the flock flourishes. The other Judas accepted bribe, Caiaphas judged and was obbeyed, Annas denounced, The Scribes were troubled, Pilate was seated, Our Lord embraced the pillat, Andrew fled, Simon denied, John kept his distance, Thomas hid, James was dumbstruck, and all the disciples fled to every corner.

Today, however, Caiaphas is shamed Annas is reproached, Judas is strungled, and the silver spilled, the Scribers are speechless, The heads of the Synagogue hide their faces, the Livites blame one an other, Pilate is amazed, there are no revolutionaries or soldiers, and the assembly of wolves is Scattered, the Shepherd speaks to the ewes, the flock catches his scent and is given forver, Mary exults, Shalom is happy, Magdalene carries the good news of peace, the disciples lift up their heads, the Apostles leave their hiding places Simon and John run to the tomb, Matthew and Bartholomew rejoice in their gladness, Andrew and James leave behind their weariness, Thomas confesses, Pilate glorifies, the path to the tomb thunders, and that to the Golgothas deserted, mourning passes to the left side, and consolation stands at the right, the door of the tomb becomes an abode for the Murdered One. Therefore let us all cry out: O Death, where is your sting? Where is your victory, O Sheol? Today, the guardes accepted a bribe and said; “his disciples took him away as we slept”.After this, he was seen by Mary Magdalene and others. With unveiled faces the Apostles said: we know that Christ has risen from among the dead, and indeed will not die again – death has no power over him”. Indeed we have been called to this joy, and invited to this feast: let us embrace each other in love; let us kiss each other in friendship. Let us give peace to one another; peace without deceit; peace without hypocrisy; Peace from an undivided mind; peace unlike that of Iscariot, who accepted the punishment of a hanging. That peace that our Savior sent to the assembly of Apostles in the upper room. Peace be with you all; for peace is the undoing of old enmity, and to peace we have been called for peace we have.gathered as we do every year May the resurrection be upon you! And life in Christ! Our Lord has freed us from death. And made mortals into immortals, Adamites into Christians, the earthly into heavenly, rational into spiritual. Instead of quarrelsome, we are now peaceful; instead of wrathful, gentle; instead of agitating, civilized; instead savage merciful; instead of arrogant modest instead of rash, innocent; instead of prideful, humble. Instead of instead of ungrateful, thankful; gluttonous fasting; instead of drunken abstaining; instead of frivolous, respectful, instead of lazy, hard-working; instead of sinful, righteous; instead of wicked, just, instead of evil good. Let us love one another with all our heart. Because to this peace we have been called my beloved; clap your hands together.Gglorify greatly, exult majestically. Give praise spiritually, to him who this day has arisen from among the daed and in his Resurrection has raised us all, Amen. And, just as he promised the thief, one of our kind,"today you will be with me in Paradise” may he make us worthy to accept his heavenly revelation, and share in his heavenly Kingdom, Amen.

Österns Gamla Kyrka