Pascha 2015

Pascha 2015

“Oh what passion, which cleanses the world from sin!
Oh what death, the reason for immortality, the life that rises!
Oh what descent into Hades, the bridge toward resurrection for all who died in all the ages!
Oh what midday, which repeals the condemnation which took place in the evening in paradise!
Oh what Cross, the doctor of the tree [of transgression]!  
Oh what nails, which stabilized the world by it acquiring knowledge of God and attacks death!
Oh what thorns, which are the grapes of the Jewish vineyard!
Oh what gall, which engenders the honey of faith and condemns the guile of the Jews!
Oh what sponge, which sponged down and cleansed the sin of the world!
Oh what reed, which naturalized the faithful to the heavens and destroyed the tyranny of the first evil serpent!
Oh what mystery, which is unbelievable to the unbelieving, which though, is forever worshipped by all of the faithful!
Oh what mystery, which is objected to by the unbelievers and which the faithful glorify!
Oh what mystery, which is a scandal to the Jews and nonsense to the Gentiles, but for us is “Christ, the power and wisdom of God”. As the Apostle Paul stated, “what resembles to be God’s foolishness is wiser than human wisdom” (1 Corinthians: 1:23-25).  For He destroyed death and depredated Hades and gave life to those that had died in all the ages,  with the Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, to Whom belongs glory and power to the endless of  ages. Amen.”   

St. Proklos Patriarch of Constantinople
Sermon 11
On the Passion of the Lord given on Holy and Great Friday
From the book From the Resurrection of Lazarus to the Resurrection of Christ (Greek text)

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