^{By Bishop Michael}

ARCHPASTORAL LETTER ON

The Feast of the Glorious Resurrection

Holy PASCHA

Sunday, April 15, 2012

Christ is Risen! Indeed He is Risen!

Dearly Beloved in our Risen Savior:

“... he saw and believed” ^{(John 20:8)}

Without a doubt, the horrors of His Trial, Passion, Crucifixion and Death took their toll not only on Our Lord but also on the people around Him. All but one of Jesus’ closest disciples fled out of fear; they were scattered without their Shepherd. The pious women who had followed Him throughout His ministry were filled with sorrow, agony on their faces and tears in their eyes. And the countless people whom Jesus had helped and healed -- the blind, the deaf, the dumb and the lame, the lepers and the greatest of sinners -- were nowhere to be found; they had abandoned their Healer and Savior. Even to this day, the same is true. In the words of Saint Paul, “the Crucified Christ is a stumbling block to the Jews and folly to the Gentiles” ^{(I Corinthians 1:23)}.

Sacrament of Confession: 7 Questions and 7 Answers

^{His Grace, Michael ~ Bishop of New York & the Diocese of New York and New Jersey}

“Lessons in Our Faith” is a series of instructional videos produced by the Diocese of New York and New Jersey (Orthodox Church in America) featuring His Grace, Bishop Michael. In this installment, the topic is the Sacrament of Confession. Using his popular “7 Questions and 7 Answers” format, Bishop Michael discusses this subject in a concise and direct manner. In less than ten minutes, the video offers the fundamental teaching about this sacrament with encouragement for the beneficial participation in sacramental confession by the faithful within the life of the Church

The Doctrine of Church

^{by Fr. Thomas Hopko}

In one, holy, catholic and apostolic Church…

Church as a word means those called as a particular people to perform a particular task. The Christian Church is the assembly of God’s chosen people called to keep his word and to do his will and his work in the world and in the heavenly kingdom.

In the Scriptures the Church is called the Body of Christ ^{(Rom 12; 1 Cor 10, 12; Col 1)} and the Bride of Christ ^{(Eph 5; Rev 21)}. It is likened as well to God’s living Temple ^{(Eph 2; 1 Pet 2)} and is called “the pillar and bulwark of Truth” ^{(1 Tim 3:15)}.

Suffering - Orthodox Spirituality

^{by Fr. Thomas Hopko}

There is no life in this world without suffering. The cessation of suffering comes only in the Kingdom of God.

There are generally three sources of suffering in this world: suffering from the persecution of others in body and soul, suffering from sickness and disease, and suffering in spirit because of the sins of the world. There are only two possible ways to deal with such sufferings. Either one humbly accepts them and transforms them into the way of salvation for oneself and others; or one is defeated by them with rebellion and rejection, and so “curses God and dies” both physically and for eternity in the ages to come. ^{(cf. Job 2:9-10)}

Sickness - Orthodox Spirituality

^{by Fr. Thomas Hopko}

Sickness exists in the world only because of sin. There would be no sickness at all, neither mental nor physical, if man had not sinned. According to Christ sickness is bondage to the devil. ^{(Matthew 8:16, 12:22; Luke 4:40-41, 13:10-17)} And Christ has come to “destroy… the devil.” ^{(Hebrews 2:14)} With Jesus the forgiveness of sins, the healing of the body, the destruction of the devil and the raising of the dead are all one and the same act of salvation.

Death - Orthodox Spirituality

^{by Fr. Thomas Hopko}

There is no person who will not die. The preparation for death is at the center of the spiritual life.

Lord, let me know my end, and what is the measure of my days; let me know how fleeting my life is! Behold, Thou hast made my days a few handbreadths, and my lifetime is as nothing in Thy sight. Surely every man stands as a mere breath! Surely man goes about as a shadow! Surely for nought are they in turmoil; man heaps up, and knows not who will gather! ^{(Psalm 38[39]-4-6)}

That man should die is not the will of God, for as the scripture says, “God did not make death.”

God did not make death, and takes no pleasure in the destruction of any living thing; He created all things that they might have being. ^{(Wisdom of Solomon 1-13)}

For I have no pleasure in the death of anyone, says the Lord God; so turn and live. ^{(Ezekiel 18:32)}