Antipascha: 2nd Sunday of Pascha; St Thomas Sunday

Good morning. It's nice to see all of you.

So traditionally on the Sunday following Pascha, I read the epistle of our Metropolitan, Metropolitan Nicholas. This is his first year as the head of the church, and it's a tremendous responsibility because the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia is not only in America, but it's in Europe, South America, and so on. It's a very large group of parishes and dioceses. The responsibility of the Metropolitan, of course, is tremendous, and we are very blessed. He'll be visiting us for our feast day on June 10th. Our feast day is actually the 9th, but he's going to come on the 10th, so we'll have him here. He is a wonderful, actually young man—he's not even 50 yet—and the Synod of Bishops elected him as the Metropolitan. He's a wonderful man, a wonderful man of prayer, and while he doesn't know all of us by name, he prays for all of us before the throne of God.

So he begins with his epistle:

"With Paschal joy and special spiritual closeness, I greet you, eminent brother archpastors, honorable fathers, brothers and sisters scattered throughout the world on this great and light-bearing day of the Pascha of Christ.

Approaching Great Lent, a repentant soul gazes into his soul and sees his own helpless situation, reminding him of the field of dry bones described in the Book of Ezekiel. But depending on the degree of one's zeal in carrying out the struggle of repentance, with the approach of the Feast of Feasts, he begins to taste joy and spiritual peace. A Christian, with the entire Church praying together, fasting, repenting, and communing, begins to come alive, stands up on his feet, and joins an exceeding great army of the faithful. All come alive together with him—the entire Christian world, all of nature—all rejoice, brightly celebrating the three-day resurrection of God, the Lover of Mankind.

Our earthly celebration of Pascha means sensing the grace of the Kingdom of God to the highest degree possible. Metropolitan Anthony (Khrapovitsky) would say that with attentive spiritual living, a person acquires the ability to rejoice not for one day, but beginning with Bright Week and continuing another 40 days of its celebration, and then over the course of his entire life, as it was with Saint Seraphim of Sarov, who lived with this joy, declaring it not only with his heart and mouth, but in his very way of life. May the Lord help us preserve this unspeakable joy, foreshadowing for us the blessedness in the unwaning day of the Kingdom of Christ, and may we thereby sanctify all the rest of our earthly days.

Pondering the tribulations of our time, we understand that the Son of God came to save the world in which the righteous suffer persecutions. For where sinners perish, God, who loves the righteous and is merciful to sinners, seeks the salvation of all. It is in this unity with Christ, together with all of mankind, that we must fervently pray for the salvation of the righteous and the sinners, and for the great mercy of God for the former and for the latter. Remember, it is not our version of truth that reigns, nor anyone else's, but the truth of God. His victory over evil, sin, and death always leads to love, the triumphant unity and victory of goodness and beauty.

Our beloved Metropolitan Hilarion always shone with Paschal joy and served as an example of good Christian living. May we likewise pray as we approach the first anniversary of his repose.

I take this opportunity to ask the archpastors, the pastors, the monastics, and the millions of faithful children of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church headed by His Beatitude, Metropolitan Onuphry of Kiev and All Ukraine, an archimandrite of the ancient Kiev Caves Lavra, to accept from us all the Paschal kiss of peace, empathy, and Christian love. May the Lord help them continue on the path of witness which the Apostle Paul described to all Christians in his epistle to the Corinthians: 'by honor and dishonor, by evil report and good report; as deceivers, and yet true; as unknown, and yet well known; as dying, and behold we live; as chastened, and not killed; as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, and yet possessing all things.'

'You are the light of the world,' said the Lord to his disciples. And we, dear fathers and brothers and sisters, counting ourselves as among the disciples of Christ, are called to preach His resurrection, both with a good word and by the power of living according to the Gospel. When we confess our faith in our words and deeds, they gradually transfigure into the light of Christ, illuminating and warming all. In these difficult times, the light that shines forth from the life-bearing sepulchre of the Lord is especially needed by everyone, and the more this light exists among people in good words and deeds, the more they will feel themselves close and dear to one another. Therefore, let us in all ways strive to be in the light of Christ's resurrection, sensing His strength and power. Amen.

Christ is Risen! Indeed He is Risen!

Always your holy—asking your holy prayers, I remain with Paschal joy in Christ and with kindest wishes,

+NICHOLAS Metropolitan of Eastern America and New York First Hierarch of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia"

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.