One Must Not Abandon Christ on the Day of the Resurrection
Pre-Paschal Sermon of:
Archbishop Anthony (Medvedev, +2000)

As  Great  Lent  comes  to an end, let us examine its final goal, the holy, light-bearing  night  of  Pascha. On this night, the Church dons Her finest garb and sings Her inspired prayers, meeting Her Resurrected Groom, Christ. Orthodox  Christians are vigilant! In days of old, it was carefully seen that no one slept on this night... In a word, we are preparing for a great event.

Indeed,  if  Metropolitan  Anthony  (Khrapovitsky, +1936) of blessed memory correctly  stated  that  each  holiday  is  a  mystery, then the holiday of holidays,  Pascha,  is  the  mystery  of  mysteries,  and I will not.... I dare not... speculate idly on this.

But  while  pausing  to consider the depth of Pascha, let us at least point out  one truth, that on this night, the Lover of Mankind is doubly merciful to  us.  Many  of  our  sins,  so  burdensome  to  our conscience (if it is vigilant,  and  if we repented of them), are now lightened with one sigh of tender  emotion.  Let  us  believe  in these "riches of loving-kindness" of which  the divine John speaks, let us savor the "feast of faith," which the Church,  through  his Golden Mouth, summons us to do. The homily of St John Chrysostom  to  which  I  refer  so perfectly speaks of Pascha that on this bright  night  no one replaces it or adds their own words to it. In Russian churches, it is read without fail.  In fact, speaking of the Russian people, it  is  well-known  that  not one other people celebrates Pascha so. Let us give thanks to the Lord for this!

But  let  us set aside our dear and beloved Russian Paschal traditions, the indescribable  beauty  of the Russian Paschal services: let us now think of the  most important thing, the highest moment of the celebration of Pascha. Let  us  ponder  it,  and  humble  ourselves, and recognize that many -- yes, many -- of  us  have  not yet learned to truly celebrate Pascha as the Church would have us do.

What is this feast of faith to which St John Chrysostom calls us?

On  the  Sunday  of the Prodigal Son, when we are still preparing ourselves for  Great  Lent, the Church interprets this Gospel parable by explaining that  the  prodigal son is each and every one of us, and that the father of the  prodigal  son  is  our  Heavenly  Father.  The  Church  says:  "And he slaughters  the  fatted  calf for him (that is, for us!), his only-begotten Son, and the Father grants him communion of his body and blood" (Synaxarion of  the  Sunday  of the Prodigal Son). This is a wonderful parable, and its manifestation is Pascha.

Let  us  keep  our Heavenly Father in our minds, let us draw closer to Him, for  He  opens  His Fatherly embrace for us and allows us to partake of the Body  and  Blood  of  His  Only-Begotten  Son. If this is the case upon the repentance  of  each  sinner,  then the Paschal night maximally reduces the period  of  time  between  the  decision  to  return  to the Father and the Father's embrace, into which our souls fall to enjoy the utterly undeserved feast  of  the Body and Blood of Christ. This is why the Chrysostom in that same   famous   homily  says:  "The  table  is  full-laden;  feast  ye  all sumptuously.  The  calf  is fatted; let no one go hungry away. Enjoy ye all the feast of faith "

Heed the words: "feast ye all sumptuously."

That is why in days past, everyone partook of Holy Communion on the Paschal night, elders,  children,  men  and  women, the healthy and ailing (to whose beds  the  Holy Gifts were brought). Even on the evening of Great Thursday, when  this  mystery  was  established,  mostly priests communed of the Holy Gifts,  as  servants  of  the  altar, for the altar is the room of the Last Supper. But on Pascha, everyone took Holy Communion.

We  read  in the 66th Rule of the VI Ecumenical Council: "From the holy day of  the  Resurrection  of  Christ  our God until the next Lord's day, for a whole  week, in the holy churches the faithful ought to be free from labor, rejoicing  in  Christ  with  psalms  and  hymns  and  spiritual  songs; and celebrating  the feast, and applying their minds to the reading of the holy Scriptures,  and  delighting  in  the  Holy Mysteries; for thus shall we be exalted with Christ and together with him be raised up."

If  the Holy Fathers had deemed this for the entire Bright Week, how can we not remember these words on the first and brightest of these days?

For  it  is  because we forget the feast of the Holy Gifts, alas, that many have  begun to forego the Paschal Liturgy, and, staying through the Paschal matins, which is all but a precursor, go home to feast.

But  is  was not for eating and drinking that the church bells summoned us! It  was  not  for  this  that the candles were lit and the words "Christ is Risen" were exclaimed so many times!

"Let  it  be known," states the church law on the blessing of Paschal foods (meat,  kulich,  eggs,  cheese pascha, etc.) "that these are not the Pascha nor  the  Lamb, as some mistakenly perceive, and which they piously partake of  as  though  they were some holy things, but are merely an offering, for they  are  brought  forth  not as sacrifices to God, but so that the priest prayerfully  bless  the  resumption of eating after lent of meat and cheese (and  everything  non-lenten)  For Pascha and the Lamb are Christ Himself, Who  took  upon Himself the sins of the world, brought by the priest on the altar-table  to  God  and  the  Father  in  the  Most-Pure Mysteries of the Honorable  Body  and  Life-creating  Blood.  And  those that partake of Him (Christ) are truly partake of the Pascha."

This  is also sung during the antiphonies of Great Friday: "Let us not keep the  feast  like the Jews, for our Passover, Christ God, has been slain for us" (antiphon 15).

But,  they  will say, we commune of Christ also when we partake of the Holy Mysteries,  on  the  first or fourth week of Lent, on Great Thursday, Great Saturday and on other days

True,  but  there is more! "The desired Pascha," as St Theodore the Studite says,  "is the cleansing of sins, meekness and humility of heart, purity of conscience,  the  alienation  of  passions of the flesh Who achieves these good  works  will celebrate the Passover of the Lord and will celebrate the bright  and  much-desired  feast  day,  not once a year, but throughout his entire life" (St Theodore the Studite, Homilies to Catechumens).

The  appearance of the chalice to the people always signifies resurrection, and during every full liturgy, a priest, after partaking of the Holy Gifts, secretly reads the Paschal songs: "Shine, shine new Jerusalem" and "O Great Pascha."

But  why are these very prayers not sung aloud on this great night? Why not the words: "Receive the Body of Christ; taste of the fount of immortality," which  usually  accompany communicants to the chalice, but on Paschal night are  sung before the chalice appears, as though urging all to approach? And how is it that on other days we have the salvific thirst for Communion, but on His day, the day of Christ, we do not burn with this thirst?

From  Paschal  night, the Royal Doors do not close for seven days. On Great Thursday,  the  wondrous evening of the Mysteries, they are opened to offer Holy  Communion to the faithful laypersons as usual after the Mystical Meal of  the  priests.  But  on Pascha, all are given the opportunity to see the Mystical Meal itself.

"Did not our heart burn within us?" (Luke 24:32) asks Luke and Cleopas when He  revealed  Himself  and broke the bread. How are we not to burn, knowing that He is this Bread, and that He rose from the dead?!

And  for  seven  days,  the  artos  bread  will stand before the altar as a reminder of the bread of life?the Resurrected Christ.

Why  are we instructed to perform the Paschal Liturgy "early?" Why does the Church  hurry  us, or rather, where is Christ our God Himself so rushing us on this salivific night?

"In  My  Kingdom  I  shall  drink  a  new  vintage " promises Christ to His Apostles  (Canon  of  Great  Thursday, Canticle Four). And on Holy Night we will  all  hear the words: "Come, let us drink a new beverage the Fountain of Incorruption" (Second irmos of the Paschal Canon).

Already  from  the  vespers  of Great Saturday, during the reading from the Prophets  (Exodus 12:1-11), on the hurried eating of the proto-image of the lamb of Moses, we are being prepared for this haste.

Wonderful  is  the  Russian  tradition  of beginning the Paschal service at midnight,  performing  all  the  services of the Lord through until morning without pause.

Our  natures  weakened,  but  girded  with strength from above, folding our hands  in a cross, with the staff of prayer, we will hasten to the chalice. "It is the Lord's Passover!" (Exodus, 12:11).

You  might  say: "I dare not, I have not prepared myself" But you dared on other days. And on this night, the Lord forgives all. On this day, at dawn, He  had  sent  the  myrrh-bearers through an angel to give the good news to Peter, who had betrayed him (Mark 16:7).

You  might  say: how will I then celebrate, eat and drink? But on this day, the  Church not only does not ask us to fast, but forbids fasting (Carthage Council, Canon 64, and Council of Gangra, Canon 18).

"If I am among people, I will not be able to keep my mind collected." Well, then, remember that His power and glory are reflected in every drop of food  and drink.

I  heard  of  a certain priest of God who offered all those who remained at Liturgy  to  partake  of  the  Holy  Gifts,  even  those  who  had not made confession.  Had  he introduced this as a customary practice, it would have been  very  troublesome.  But if he had experienced a gust of zeal one time only,  and dared to take upon his own conscience the unprepared-ness of his flock,  if only for the purpose of waking them and showing them that it was for THIS flock that the Lord gave this holy night, I would not cast a stone upon him.

I  also  met another priest who boasted that he taught his flock to partake of  Communion  on  Pascha.  "Though  they  say that they did not do this in Russia..." What can one say to that?

The  entire  duration of Great Lent is a preparation for us to approach the chalice.  A  week  before  this,  the  Church sings: "Let us return through repentance, and enlist for the battle!

Let  us  complete  the  days  of  fasting,  that our flesh may be cleansed. Strengthening  our  hearts with the hope of grace, let us not labor for the food  which perishes, for the lamb of God will feed us on the radiant night of His resurrection (Sticheron on Cheesefare week).

Two  days  later we hear: "Let us pray to behold the fulfillment of Pascha, the true revelation!" (Tuesday of Cheesefare week).

A  week later we pray: "We who are enslaved to the tyranny of the flesh may become worthy to partake of the Lamb, the Son of God, slain of His Own will for  the  sake of the world, and may spiritually celebrate the feast of the Savior's resurrection from the dead!

(Tuesday of the first week of Great Lent).

Two days later, again we sing: "Desiring to commune with the divine Pascha, the Pascha, not from Egypt, but from Zion, let us renounce the drink of sin through repentance! (Thursday of the first week of Great Lent).

On  the next day: "Let us sign ourselves with the blood of the One Who, for our  sake,  was  voluntarily  led to death, so that the destroyer might not touch us. So we will partake of the sacred Pascha of Christ" (Friday of the first week of Great Lent).

The  closer Pascha approaches, the greater is our striving towards it: "Let us  strive,  rejoicing  with steadfastness, and attain his most honored and holy resurrection!" (fourth week of Great Lent).

It  cannot be that such strenuous preparation would end in only a symbolic, though inspired, celebration of the Resurrection of Christ!

On this day, "created by the Lord," when the good news is declared that the "Word  was  made  Flesh  and  dwelt  among us" (John 1:14), let us open our hearts,  let  us  fit  within  ourselves also the Word God in the Most-Pure Mysteries of His Body and Blood, so that He would dwell within us.

Make note of how a Christian generally prepares for Communion. With prayer, confession...  and  what  else?  With  fasting, reading of spiritual books, through making peace with his neighbor...

How does the Church prepare us for Pascha?

Through  fasting...  We  have  the  Great Forty-Day Lent, and before Pascha itself the only strict Saturday of fasting, Great Saturday.

With  reading...  During Lent the Psalter is read intensively, the books of Genesis,  Proverbs, Prophet Isaiah... Before the Bright midnight office the entire book of the Acts of the Apostles are read.

With regard to making peace with one's neighbors, remember how in the early Church, before each raising of the Holy Gifts, after the words "let us love one  another,"  the  believers  (and  they  were  always in preparation for Communion) would kiss one another. Here is how St Simeon of Solun described it:  "As  a sign that people must love each other... one seeking to commune of  Him  (Christ)  must  approach without enmity, for in the next world all will be friends." Later this custom of kissing was abandoned, maybe because the  absolute  custom  of  partaking  of  the Holy Gifts during each Divine Liturgy  or  on each holiday was set aside, because the old Christians were more spiritual, because we have weakened. But on the night of Pascha, which is an image of the future life, we all are invited to the holy feast and we sing  "Let  us  forgive  all through the Resurrection," and kiss each other three times.

One  priest  told  me how as a boy he would run into the emptied church the morning  after  Paschal  services.  It is bright, decorated, but silent and abandoned And the boy became sad: Christ is alone!

Brethren!  One  must not abandon Christ on the day of the Resurrection! Let us  all take Him in as a wanderer, He who is alone with no place to lay His head,  into  our hearts. Let us all take into ourselves His Body and Blood.
Amen.

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