By Protopresbyter Fr. George Papavarnavas
The mystery of death is a fact that has eternally preoccupied man. A variety of texts uphold been in black and white and dissimilar interpretations uphold been given by unusual religions, as well as thinkers and philosophers on this subject. One thing is trustworthy, as it has been as it should be made-up, that death is the finest democrat. And this is the same as it makes no result and before it we are all degree. In one tune of the Entombment Circle this truth is highlighted: "Which indisputably is he that is king? Or which is soldier? Which is the rich, which the needy? Which the good, or which the sinner?"
Passing away has eternally brought awe and alarm. The ancient philosophers regarded death as no matter which scared. Aristotle would say: "Passing away is the utmost scared thing of all." In Christianity we uphold marginal line of attack. The saints do not be bothered it, but deliberation it a get. "For me, to living wage is Christ and to die is get" (Apostle Paul). And they see it as such, the same as with death the good notes of the get of God and life are not intermittent, which are tasted to come in this life, but they request partake of them in a disdainful normal way.
Passing away, which is not a perform of God but is the end result of sin, was abolished by the Take the helm and Reappearance of Christ. "Christ, by Your Reappearance You vanquished Hades and abolished death" (Praises, Sunday Matins in the Fourth Edge your way). And live in who texture the life in Christ contain it and transcend it second the confines of their particular life.
For us Obedient Christians the Reappearance is the utmost cunning festival. We event it, we chant it, but we as well sing about it in every tone. All the romaic songs exuded out of the mood of our the upper classes that lived this tradition, which is why they speak even of a love for death. This is the same as properly love is a rate and a cleave, or in other words death, but at the fantastically time a transcendence of death - true life.
To flavor this life we prerequisite go through the texture of true remorse, through nuisance and sobbing for our falls and sins. The laudable Mary of Egypt by her remorse managed to escape the unnatural life of sin and furthermore transcend this conception and dash what is second conception. Her life is standard to us. She was a prostitute in Alexandria and lured many hip sin. At one time she was in Jerusalem for the dinner of the Glorification of the Righteous Take the helm and out of shortage greet to fundamental the church. Yet since she approached the attempt, she was unable to fundamental, as if at hand was an indiscernible wall that exposed her. She tried many get older, but it was not worth it. As she saw others lack of responsibility by her and fundamental, furthermore her stalk was open-minded and she inherent. She begged the Panagia to allow her to fundamental, at the fantastically time glowing that she request distinction her life. Guaranteed she shy her property and went to the dark red of Jordan anywhere she lived with many privations and far away calm. For seventeen existence she had lived in sin, and for seventeen existence she was afflicted by the devil and the rebelliousness of the flesh. For that reason this war bunged and she began to intensification deeply. Having indoors at listlessness her outlook began to improve. Saint Zosimas, who went to make an announcement her towards the end of her life, was astonished by the prospect. He saw a outlook that was cunning and virtuous. He saw a variety who knowing the success all the way through death and her particular renewal.
Genuine remorse, which is associate with the repositioning to be unbound from the passions, is a cleave. According to Obedient teaching, at hand are three crosses. The primary is the unusual incidents of life, such as temptations and tribulations. The instant is the work hard for the alteration of the passions. And the third is the brainchild of God, which is a flavor of real life.
The true celebration of Pascha, after that, is not viable by outdoor means of expression or deeds, which are as well required, but it is main the rank of the inner life and true remorse. Lofty Lent, which precedes this, helps us a lot. Excessively, this is its clue. Along with deep services, fasting and its sum total be of the opinion it enhances the repositioning for a stronger spiritual life, for disdainful prayer, for the crucifixion of the flesh, that is, the fleshly stalk and the sanitization of the passions. "Let us process our argue and we shall inspect Christ, glowing with the out-of-the-way light of the Reappearance, and we shall by far congregate Him saying wallow to us moment we sing to Him the tune of success."
The word "Pascha" is a Hebrew word and means of expression "crossing". The Israelites significant the wondrous crossing of the Red Sea. Obedient Christians, the new Israel of Flair, event the crossing "from death to life". Excitedly the conquering paean "Christ is Risen" request be our particular texture.
Source: "Ekklesiastiki Paremvasi", , April 1999. Translated by John Sanidopoulos.
