Χριστὸς ἀνέστη! Christ is Risen!
I greet you, my dear Brothers and Sisters, with love and joy in the name of our Risen Lord, God and Savior Jesus Christ!
I know that you share my thankfulness that we are blessed once more to celebrate our Lord’s Resurrection. Having passed through the Springtime of the Fast, purifying our hearts to enter Jerusalem with Him, we have stood at the foot of His Cross, and now we are together inside the bright and glorious mystery that is His Empty Tomb.
As we live in an era when even that Holy Church is vulnerable to human conflict, I choose to recall the example of St. Seraphim of Sarov, who, regardless of the time of year, greeted everyone with the words, “Christ is Risen, my joy!” He truly lived the understanding that the miracle of Pascha is not only for a season but transforms the reality of our broken world, every single day of our lives.
May it be so for each of you, as you carry the Paschal flame in your hearts, proclaiming the joy of our Lord’s victory over sin and death in everything you do, as living examples of our Lord’s love and light in this world. I remain,
In the love and service of our Resurrected Lord,
+SEVASTIANOS
Metropolitan of Atlanta
