Paschal Greeting from Fr Serge

CHRIST IS RISEN!
INDEED HE IS RISEN!

This is a great time of our Christian year, a time of rejoicing, a time of faith, a time of hope and therefore a time also of love. One of our Easter hymns gives expression to those sentiments in the following beautiful terms:

“It is the Day of Resurrection,
Let us brighten up with Feast
and let us embrace each other;
Let us call “Brethren” even our adversaries;
Let us forgive all because of the Resurrection,
And thus let us call out loudly:

“CHRIST IS RISEN FROM THE DEAD
TRAMPLING DOWN DEATH BY DEATH
AND TO THOSE IN THE TOMBS
HE BESTOWED LIFE!”

To that joy, to that friendliness, to that forgiveness we are all called by the Christ and His Holy Church. It is to that same salvation we, your Priest, President and the Church-School Board, invite all today. You who are practicing your faith both in the Church and outside it, in your daily life; and also you whom we miss at the wonderful and Holy Services of the Church, yours and ours. Come let us all be one in our Holy Orthodox Faith and in the One Savior, Jesus Christ, who by His willing sufferings and death did manifest His great love and compassion for all of us. And by His Resurrection He revealed His all mighty divine power by which He reigns over the universe.

Your Church sends this greeting to all in love and hope that you will respond, since through your Church it is our Savior who is calling us. That is why He instituted the Holy Church to do preaching to sound calls and warnings and to dispense His gifts to all of us - from Him.

Dear Brothers and Sisters, we are embarking on an ambitious building program to rebuild our church hall which was destroyed by hurricane Ike. We too, are resurrecting from the recent calamities that have befallen us but with the hope, trust and love in our Resurrected Lord we know that we will also achieve our most desired goal. And that is to share in the communion of each other in our new hall. To that end I greet you as your parish priest together with the church-school congregation of Sts. Constantine and Helen and wish you all the very best this Paschal season.