Where there is no love, there is no life!
Where there is no love, there is no life!
Where there is no love, there is no life!
While we rejoicefully celebrate the Resurrection, sirens continually echo the sounds of wars and bombings kill innocent people. In other parts of the world, various financial interests have brought on poverty, suffering, causalities and misfortune to many, depriving them of the possibility to obtain the basic necessities of life and evoking deadly illnesses. Together with this, everyday lives are senselessly lost from murders and all sorts of maltreatment and molesting. What madness! With all that is taking place, can we say that there is really redemption that comes from the Cross and the Resurrection? Has Christ risen? And we emphatically answer: “Yes”! “Truly the Lord has risen!”
Authorities, rulers and cosmic powers of this darkened world, evil spirits that exist between the world and the heavens deny it. What they want is to mislead people by saying that there is another life, better than the one that comes from the empty tomb of the Resurrection. The life that they project hides many wicked traps and iron barriers by creating the fear of death and the lack of trust. Thus, they continually aim to divide and separate people, instilling the idea that, to achieve happiness, one must overpower and dominate others; to prove to others their strength; to promote and enforce themselves through various means and in various situations; to satisfy their egocentric desires, desires that now are named as “rights”. Then, when these desires are not met, anger is expressed in violent and destructive ways.
In these adverse conditions, let us not remain downhearted and in sullenness as the two disciples that were walking toward Emmaus after the Resurrection. For they were full of disappointment and doubts concerning the Lord’s Resurrection. Instead, let us put on the robe of light that we received at our Baptism that is enlightened by the Light of the Resurrection. Let us present ourselves to God in the way that is fitting to those that have died and resurrected into a new life. Let us offer our bodies to Him as a weapon for the purpose of doing good. Furthermore, let us always live in the love, mercy and righteousness of God, bearing witness to the joyful message of peace; keep the flame of faith in the Resurrected Christ always lit as a perpetual shining vigil light; preserve the unity of the faith by practicing solidarity with one another. Beyond all, let us remain steadfast in our hope, which is founded on God’s promise that He will always be with us. This hope is our sure and steadfast anchor that will guide us into the inner parts of His Kingdom.
Metropolitan Kyrillos of Rhodes
President of the Patriarchal Network
Pascha 2024