After Easter, I went to the children’s class. They know that since you are a cleric and theologian, you must certainly tell them: "Christ is risen!" And so I entered, but decided not to tell them anything - of course, for a specific purpose. I just greeted them, asked:

How are you? What you are doing?

And one of the disciples turned and said to me:

We must say "Christ is Risen," Father!

Ah, indeed he is risen! Many years!

But you didn't say that!

Yes, he didn’t.

The other children were surprised that the student pointed out to me what I must speak, and corrected me. At this time, there was a knock on the door, and a boy from another class entered, who wanted to take a basketball from them:

Excuse me, can you give me your basketball? We have nothing to play with.

Everyone shouted:

Get out! We won't give you any ball! Last time we gave it to you, and you lost it. We don't give balls anymore! Leave!

The poor child, ashamed, closed the door and left. I turned to the class and told them:

Children, behind all these screams, you forgot to tell him what you told me.

Christ is Risen! I should have told him: “Get out of here! Christ is Risen!"

They were dumbfounded and looked at me closely:

What do you mean?

"Christ is Risen" is such a strong expression that it is not enough to say it

I mean the same as you just meant. You made a remark to me when I entered the classroom (and you rightly said!) That I should have said hello with the words "Christ is Risen." But “Christ is Risen” is such a strong expression, such a powerful reality that it’s not enough to say this: you need to embody it in your daily life, in your experiences, in your regenerated thought, in your transformed heart, in all everyday circumstances. You easily say: "Christ is risen", but - "We will not give you the ball!", "Christ is risen", but - "Close the door and leave us alone!"

Christ is Risen means that I am resurrected with Him. Otherwise, it reminds me of something said by a young man when I was still in high school. I was little then, and of course he told me this with irony:

Christ is Risen! Well, what does this mean to me?

He is resurrected, and I? And you? And we? What does this mean for our life here and now? Does this even affect the reality in which I live?

Here are the cousins, they are so hospitable at home, they meet, open the door and:

Hello! Christ is Risen! Sit down, let's have some coffee, let's talk!

They sit down and discuss what they will say at the trial on such and such a case, agree on how to accuse their other relative on an issue related to some property. They discuss what they will say, how they will get along with each other. Time passes, they finally come to an agreement and:

OK, bye. See you at the trial! Do not forget about the detail I told you about, this is very important! OK Bye! Christ is Risen!

Christ is risen, but you abolish these words in your life. You press the "Cancel", "Delete" buttons on the keyboard. You say in words “Christ is Risen,” but in your life nothing has yet been resurrected. The coffins of egoism, my passions, my vices, weaknesses still live and stink in me.

Here is the desired goal: how, in my Christ, will my life be resurrected? For that I pray to God and now I am not acting as your teacher, but simply saying that you are attentive to what you say.

Do you remember what the Old Testament says? “Do not take the name of the Lord your God in vain” (Deut. 5: 11). And you put these sacred words into your lips, but in fact you abolish them.

One day I called a Christian about whom I know he has financial resources:

Christ is Risen!

Truly Risen! he replied.

Great: you know it, you say it, you do the right thing.

You know, there is a poor family that needs funds.

Eh, father, what can you do? You know, now there is a crisis, all around there are problems. I pray that they have a solution. What to do? I cannot help them. We'll talk another time. Christ is risen, father!

Truly Risen! Goodbye!

“Christ is Risen” - but you are still loving money, you are still a difficult person, your heart still remains closed. You are not resurrected

“Christ is Risen,” but you are still loving money, you are still stingy, you are still a difficult person, your heart still remains closed. You are not resurrected. The love of money and selfishness are still alive, they have not died.

I said the same thing to another person who does not go to church, he does not strongly believe in God, does not have a special external connection with the Church, like all of us, the rest. But I do not know what is going on in his heart. And in fact, what Christ says is happening - that the tax collectors and sinners will be the first to enter paradise. He did not tell me: "Christ is risen", but as soon as he heard about the poor family, he immediately handed me 500 euros with the words:

Take them, father, and do what you want, give them where you need to.

I told him:

Christ is Risen!

And he answered me:

The Lord is true! I do not know if I am saying this correctly.

Someone will say: is it right? No, it is wrong, it would be more correct to say: "Christ is risen", to love the Lord, to live by the Lord and to actually fulfill the Gospel in your life.

I am not saying that I like it better when someone, being an atheist, lives like a Christian. Because there are atheists who say they are atheists, but they are not. They have spiritual nobility in their souls, effective love, philanthropic feelings, they hear the pain of another and cry, they have a sensitive heart, they are moved by their hearts.

Do you remember the man who told Elder Paisius about his sister, who wandered around drinking establishments at night and worked in the hospital during the day? He said to the elder:

I'll lose my sister! She will go to hell! Because he hangs around all kinds of institutions, sells himself and commits sins!

The elder said to him:

Does she work in the hospital?

When she is with the sick, is she humble, kind, helps them?

Very much, father! She loves the sick, makes the bed for the elderly, does not disdain anything, gives them everything, as if they were her parents.

Don't worry, my child, God will help her! He will grab onto it.

But she doesn't go to church especially, she has no connection with what we, the rest, are doing ...

We say, "Christ is Risen." And then we stab another in the back with a very beautiful knife

“We, the rest, are doing ...” And what are we doing? We say, "Christ is Risen." And then we stab another in the back with a very beautiful knife, on which is inscribed: "Christ is Risen!"

Zhakh! On you! Christ is Risen!

Christ is Risen! Truly Risen! However, was He resurrected in my life? Or is He resurrected simply as some kind of historical event that you are reporting in this way?

I remembered that man and his words spoken when I was little: what does it mean that Christ is risen? What has changed because He was resurrected? Was He risen for Himself alone?

On the icons, Christ is depicted stretching out his hand and tearing Adam and Eve away from the tomb. And how can He tear you off, how can you resurrect you to this Christ's Resurrection?

The Lord is truly risen. The Lord transforms people, changes them. When His love enters the soul, He transforms the soul and body, everything changes, a person is transformed, his soul, the quality of his heart change, the mind is pacified, a person calms down, sleeps peacefully, wakes up, and he has a desire to live. There is a desire to work, to go forward - all this is given to you by Christ.

Who made one young man sacrifice everything for Christ's sake, and when I visited the Holy Mount Athos, he told me: “I want to talk to you”?

You know me? I asked him.

No, but once you greeted me and wished me spiritual strengthening, so I wanted to tell you something.

He came to my cell. I asked him:

You, of course, from an early age went to church, then you became attached to the Church and now you have become a monk?

Nothing like this.

What were you like?

I was a vagabond. I hung around, spent my nightlife, sinned, rode motorcycles, had girlfriends, drank, destroyed everything, had fun, burned my life, me and my company.

But of course your parents are Christians?

Nothing like this. They didn't even know where the temple was. By the ringing of the bells, they understood that something was happening, that there was a temple nearby, but did not go to church.

So what happened?

What happened? My father scolded me, got drunk, beat me, pushed me away. I didn't feel love. And he longed for love all his life, longed for understanding, warmth, consolation and love, which he did not find where he went. I was fed up with sins, and in fact I was looking for God, but did not find Him in all this.

So what finally happened?

I don't know what happened to me, I came to the Holy Mountain together with one company on a pilgrimage, it was like a walk, like an excursion, and then like a brick fell on my head from God's love. A shock occurred in me, something happened, and I wanted to change my life. That's how I changed. And before that, my mother constantly reproached me: "Well, why are you doing this, wandering at night, constantly changing girls, committing so many sins!" And now I suddenly said to her: "I am leaving, I am leaving and going to give everything to God!"

Before, my mother was afraid and reproached me that I was sinning, but now she began to do the opposite: she offered me new acquaintances, insisted that I needed to get married, that I didn’t have to go to church so much, etc. She said: “Well, okay, we, of course, said that you should become a spiritual person, but not to the same extent! Marry this girl or another: this one is a priest's daughter, this one is a theologian's sister, and this one is very good! " - "No no!" - "But why?"

Another cannot understand you if you go crazy with Divine love

Because there is no “why” when it comes to the madness of Divine love: then the other cannot understand you if you are going crazy with Divine love. Because if madness because of something human inspires you and kidnaps you, if you can be inspired by a person who is just a ray of Divine beauty, if one ray drives you crazy with love, then imagine what will happen if this ray will lead you to the Source of Light, to the Light itself, so that you can see all the radiance, beauty, love? Then you will forget everything, you will be shocked by this greatness that you feel. Nobody will understand you, they will look at you strangely, they will discuss you and ask themselves: "What happened to him?" And you will think: "I am not interested in what you say about me at all."

Love is healed by love. Love is replaced by love - when you feel something stronger, you will leave everything, and you will not have problems, you will long for God's love, which God will give you in abundance. You will leave without hatred, you will avoid everyone, but you will love them and experience something else in your soul.

When I wanted to give this monk some gifts (dried fruits, chocolate) that I brought from Athens, he told me:

Father, I don’t need this, even though I don’t have it, because we don’t eat it here. But I long for God's love and true human love.

I began my story with the words “Christ is Risen”, because otherwise I could not explain the change that had taken place in this man. Who changed this person? Who made his eyes like this? This was revealed to me by his friend, with whom they were together in the world and who once also came to the Holy Mountain to see him, and he himself also repented in his past life. His friend told me:

Father, this young man whom you now see so repentant, with kind eyes from humility and tears of repentance, if you saw what he was before, you would not believe your eyes. You would be surprised: is it yes or not? How did he become so blissful?

This is how God changes a person when he enters his heart, how his soul is transformed, how his conscience is pacified, how sleep calms down, how sweeter and more beautiful the heart beats, how everything changes in him ...

This change comes from the right hand of the Most High. A person is changed through the risen and living Christ, who is not only words. A person changes with more than just stories, how we sometimes quarrel over these issues and argue with such arguments, as if we had whole disks with encyclopedic knowledge about Christ in our minds, while in essence we just need to have the seal of Christ in our hearts.

What do you prefer? A disc with boundless knowledge about Christ or a heart that bears the imprint of the face of Christ?

What do you prefer: for me to retell you a book in which words, words, words, historical documents, arguments, encyclopedic data are written about Christ, or to show you the heart? What do you prefer? This disc with boundless knowledge about Christ or a heart that bears the imprint of the bloody palm of Christ, the face of Christ?

So which do you prefer? Do you want me to show you this sacred ubrus, which belonged to Saint Veronica, with which the Lord wiped himself, as legend says, and the face of Christ was imprinted on it? I don't know if this was a real event, but I know the power of this thought - to look for the imprint of Christ in my soul. Because everything else is words about Christ, these are theories, reasons for us to quarrel, questions that we discuss, conferences that we organize, and whether we speak - we speak to convince, to explain that we are such and such and our words are correct! Yes, that's good, but who can stand up and show us Christ?

How I wish, says Saint Silouan the Athonite, to show you the face of Christ! This is a different kind of knowledge, another in and denunciation of the face of Christ, no argument, another touch. You understand?

When you love someone, you tell him: “I will do whatever you want! I will fulfill your every desire, any sigh. " You understand the other, love carries intuition. When you love, you understand that the beloved is in love, that he is pleased, and you please him.

But we have a problem with loving another, it is not the other's fault. If we loved him, then everything would be great. Christ brought this with His Resurrection: He helped us to withstand, to change our view, with which we look at people, events, for different occasions.

I can’t hear someone say, “Christ is Risen,” and then despair, disappointment, fear, insecurity, anxiety, confusion, stress, panic follows. For the rest: "Christ is Risen!" Where is it?

Christ is Risen! But I don’t know if I will pass the exams, I am in a panic, ”someone says.

Of course, I don't know if you will pass the exams, and the fact that Christ is risen does not mean that everyone will pass the exams. Because one kid at school told me:

Father, you say "Christ is risen," but my grandfather died. Why do I need this "Christ is Risen" if my grandfather died?

I told him:

Christ did not change the world outwardly, but changed us, our eyes, heart, mind, attitude to events

Listen if you can understand these words Christ is Risen in your heart, then you will look at death with different eyes, you will hear about events, and they will touch you in a different way. Christ did not change the world outwardly, but changed us, our eyes, heart, mind, attitude to events, and when we see the same events in front of us as before Christ - that is, we see floods, death, illness, problems, then everything it does not disappear. There are problems, but Christ gave us new eyes, a new perspective on the life He gave us.

Here's an example. Once I went to the funeral of a 25-year-old woman, very young, beautiful, beautiful, kind, and there were different people around. Imagine: I, a priest, next to me is an atheist, next to him is an employee of a funeral agency, behind him is a young man who has his own youthful inclinations, etc., and we all look at the same thing - at the dead body of a young woman. The reason for our being there is the same, we all look at the same deceased young woman, but not everyone looks at this death in the same way.

A priest who strives for the sake of his faith looks at her and says to himself: "Lord, this 25-year-old girl has achieved what another manages at 100 years old - You prepared her for Your Kingdom." A sad, tragic, mournful event, in general it is painful, but I look at it with hope, optimism, not as “others who have no hope” (1 Thess. 4:13). We look at the same thing - death, but we look with hope.

Next to me is an atheist, her relative, he looks at the same body and says to himself: "Hmm, the earth goes into the earth, everything, the end comes, chemical processes, biological death, the end of everything, nothing remains, everything is over."

The funeral agency employee looks at the same body and says to himself: "I see people, animation, flowers, this will bring us a good profit, we will make so much money!"

A young man in the heat of his youth also looks at this body and says to himself: "If she were alive, how many more hearts would she touch!"

We all look at the same thing, but think of it differently. This is the case with all things in life.

Christ does nothing but tell you: “My child, I have brought a new brush with which you will paint the world with new colors: the color of love, the color of red blood that will flow out at Calvary, the white color of My Resurrection, the blue color of the Jordan River, where I am washed away your sins with the color of the ears of wheat through which I walked. If you want, take and paint your life with My flowers and look at everything differently. Want? Do you want Me to strengthen you, so that you and I look at things together? So that I can give you the strength to succeed in your struggle? " Whether it is called temptation, sickness, failure, or good luck in exams, there is an opportunity in everything to draw strength from the risen Christ. Christ does it.

But just because you believe in the Resurrection does not mean that everything in your life will go well. But you, in spite of this, make your efforts - firmly, with optimism, joy. When you are overwhelmed by a heavy feeling, when it seems that you are breaking down and losing heart, you will say: “God knows everything! Christ is Risen! So, since He is resurrected, I look into His eyes, and He gives me a desire and says: “Read, fight, make an effort, you will succeed!” I do it, but in the end I get cut off on the exam. And Christ again says to me: “Look into my eyes! Don't be discouraged, now there is another plane on which you will feel the power of My Resurrection - your failure. ”

Yes, and there (we say) Christ is risen! Probably not all is over, not all is lost here. And this is amazing. Resurrection allows us to see endless possibilities, new possibilities that God gives us to experience.

I’ll tell you now something that took half my life. Look into this something exceptional for me, I have experienced it many times in my life, but it was enough to convince me that ... However, let me tell you everything in order.

In life you often really want to have something, and you think that it will make you happy and joyful, and you say to yourself: “Only this (this person, money, house, job) will make me happy. Everything is decided, I want this and only this! " And it’s not bad to desire something: desire, but don’t think that since you think that only this will make you happy, then God also has only this on his mind. How many things can you think they can make you happy? About two or three. And God is infinity, He is immense wealth, He is a unique abundance, and He has colossal alternative solutions for everything. However, you have a limited perception, and you say: “If this is in my life, then I will be happy, so I only want this, and I’m afraid to think about something else, because I feel that I am not ready to open for other things, and why should I wait for something else? "

Let me tell you this easier, with one classic example. Here someone meets a girl and says:

Everything is decided: this is it! She was made for me! If we don’t get to know her, we don’t get along and I don’t marry her, my life will lose all meaning. It will be over!

Or someone finds a new job and says:

This work is everything for me! If I don’t work on it, I’ll fall into despair!

God, looking at you, says: “How poor you are in your thinking! And the problem is that you think that I am as poor as you are. "

It is the same with a house or a purchase. And God, looking at you, says:

How poor you are in your thinking! And the problem is not that you are poor, but that you think that I am also poor, just like you. You want to close Me in a narrow circle created by your mind, in a narrow circle of your mind, and you think that since there is only one thing in your mind, then I cannot give you any other happiness, and only through this girl, only through this profession, only through this car, only through this house I can make you happy. And I have endless solutions on your account, endless proposals about your happiness.

However, you tell Him:

No no! I pray you, God! I cannot rely on this Divine infinity, I want to narrow the circle of things! I want to think that happiness comes only through this hole that I leave in my life!

It's not a bad wish to wish it - wish it: I'm just telling you so you know that if what you want doesn't happen, it doesn't mean the end of the world has come. And not only did the end of the world not come, but I think that it was then that all the other endless solutions open up, which you did not imagine and do not want to imagine, because you cannot stand such freedom, such wealth, such opportunities. You are used to being closed, constrained, afraid: “I am afraid to see great things. I feel more secure in the dungeon of my will, in the plan, the mind, which is building a little hut for me. "

God tells you:

I have palaces for you!

No, I beg You, do not confuse me with these palaces and similar things, I have my own hut!

Of course, you say this not out of humility, but out of spiritual squalor and a narrow-minded understanding of life.

Let's not squeeze God into schemes, think that we will be happy only as we imagine. It is good that you have thoughts, plans, for you are a human being, but you say: “Lord, I think this little circle will make me happy. If you think the same and agree with this, good! And if you do not agree for any reason, Thy will be done! " And the events that will come will be much better.

I say this because things happen in life that you never imagined. I lived through this and went crazy with God's "surprises." When I thought that everything was bad and if there was no such and such, then everything would collapse, and if I did not achieve this, then everything would end, suddenly God showed me how through the collapse of one new realities were formed, which I could not even imagine. Then I realized how unbeliever I was.

We do not truly believe in God, and that is why today I will show you how strongly we refute this exclamation in our life - "Christ is Risen!" I pronounce it, I sing it, but I am not open and ready, because I do not really believe in God, because if I believed in Him, I would wait for His "surprises" with wide open eyes. However, I say, “I don’t think God is giving surprises. It seems to me that He is just as pathetic and wretched as my fantasy. " And since I myself am like that, I think that God is like that too.

But God is not like that. I would like you to understand this, and I want to show you from my meager experience that there are good surprises ahead of you. Therefore, do not grasp the earthly, do not be afraid to lose anything, leave it all. If something does not work out for you freely, do not force the other, do not want it to be forcibly realized, for example, to maintain some kind of relationship when you see that they do not work out as it should. You go out of your way to keep them, and what's the point? Everything should be comfortable, God is hiding there, and not in pressure and violence. Suddenly God sends something and you say, "My God, I didn't expect you to be so rich!" And God answers you: "That's why I told you that you were unjust to Me, because you did not understand Me."

So little by little we will understand God, His love, and from this we will calm down, love each other, feel loved by God, it will be easier for us to love others, and then everything will seem good to us - when you love, everything is beautiful, and love makes you look everything is different, intoxicating. And the annoyance that your beloved gives you, you look at as an opportunity to show even more the warmth of your kindness and forgiveness.

Otherwise, 5 years of marriage will pass, and you can no longer bear your husband. One woman told me:

I can't stand my husband, father!

Whom? Your husband, whom you love so much, to whom you forgave everything and saw everything in a rosy light? What happened to you?

I can't stand it!

What does he do?

Nothing. I am annoyed by its mere sight! If you could see how he chews! He chomps! This makes me nervous!

She, who at first did not get in the way, now says so! She saw everything in a pink light. They went on excursions. He would stain a whole heap of shirts that needed to be ironed, and she would say to him: “My love, for you I will iron day and night! This is joy for me! " And after that tell him: “Get up and get out of here! Why did I go for you! Go to your mother! I made a mistake when I met you ”?

And you ask yourself: where did love go, where was this gigantic eruption of love buried? How did the resurrection become death again? Why?

It is necessary to recharge, renew, renew, so that we do not get used in a bad sense of the word. And so that we do not get used to it, we must constantly get drunk, because you get drunk only once, and then you become sober, you start looking at things roughly again, and life really exhausts you. We are all annoying and burdensome. Therefore, a renewal is needed, so every year we speak and relive events over and over again (i.e. church holidays), therefore we remember Christ's Resurrection every week. There is a Resurrection for every Sunday Liturgy, but any other Liturgy is Christ's Resurrection, so that we give an impetus to our heart and say to it: “Awake, receive new blood, accept life, relive Christ, feel this freshness, love your person as in the first time when you met him, and look at everything like Sunday, light, humbly, humanly, Divinely and live your life beautifully. "

Here is the answer to the question I was asked: "How to explain the Resurrection of Christ to a person whom I love"? - Love him!

Let's live wisely, live knowing why we live, live loving, forgiving, sharing our joy and sorrow, so that there is a person next to us and that we have shared feelings, so that we know that we are not one and the other of us will understand. Here is the answer to the question you asked me: “How to explain the Resurrection of Christ to a person whom I love” - love him!

There is no need to tell him “Christ is Risen” and to prove apologetically that Christ is risen, since there are countless books on this subject, patristic quotations, a lot of wonderful things, but he will not understand this. When he asked you about this, he rather wanted to see the love that came out of the Divine Sepulcher, to see what it is said that "from the Sepulcher, forgiveness, embrace, love shone for us."

I pray that the day will shine in your heart, the light will shine, and hope will shine. And again I say: everything will be much better in your life, nothing is over yet, today you are crying, but tomorrow has not come yet. Good is approaching - do not prejudge everything, do not live constantly in whining and murmur, do not want to always experience the Crucified Heel and stay there. Because you cannot stand such a huge pain, and the purpose of this test is to awaken in you the lust and thirst for the Resurrection!

Greet a person on Easter day with the phrase "Christ is Awake!" and answer - "Truly he is risen!" inherent primarily to Christians. This custom is deeply rooted in centuries and has great meaning for believers. It is also customary to kiss three times during the exchange of these phrases. You can say these words throughout the entire Bright Week, which follows Easter.

This custom owes its origins to Jesus Christ himself, who lived and died for the sins of the lay people. After the apostles of Christ learned about his resurrection, they told about this to every person they saw, saying the coveted phrase "Christ is risen!" Those who heard this phrase understood that Jesus is the son of God, and, confirming their words, answered “Truly is risen!”.

Another version says that these phrases are used for. For example, a layman can ask "Christ is awake!" This option did not find distribution among the people, therefore it is rarely used.

Easter greetings today

Today, Easter greetings have taken on a slightly different meaning, with younger generations beginning to take an interest in religion. Every day it is gaining more and more followers. On Easter Sunday, the person who comes from must be the first to say “Christ is Risen!”, And the one who returns must answer “Truly is Risen!”. These greetings should always be spoken with joy, because the savior of all living things, the son of the one who gave life and the possibility of existence.

But it is worth remembering that Christ never asked to celebrate his resurrection. The miracle that happened was only a confirmation that he is really the son of God and bears his divine essence. The Bible says that the celebration of Easter is only a consequence of a miracle, and does not call for celebrating it, but people are happy and love their teacher, therefore they honor him after 2 millennia.

Over the centuries, greetings have undergone changes, have changed their meaning, the Catholic and Orthodox churches celebrate Easter on different days. But despite this, every true believer truly rejoices at this bright holiday, which reminds us that there is a particle of something divine and light in the world, that Christ was once resurrected and showed everyone that God exists.

"Christ is Risen! Truly Risen! "

These are the words that are heard very often this Sunday, because today is Easter, the most famous and brightest Orthodox holiday.

On this day, Christ is resurrected! After all, this is the first real victory of life over death

****
Christ is risen! Christ is risen!

May these joyful sounds

Like the singing of angels from heaven

Dispel anger, sorrow, torment!

Let us join all brotherly hands,

Let's hug everyone! Christ is risen!

What is Easter?

Christians understand by the word "Easter""Passing from death to life, from earth to heaven." For forty days, believers observe the strictest fast and celebrate Easter in honor of Jesus' victory over death. Passover is pronounced "Passover"(Hebrew word) and means "passed by, passed." The roots of this word go back to the history of the liberation of the Jewish people from Egyptian slavery.

The New Testament says that the destroyer will pass away from those who receive Jesus. In some languages, the word is pronounced like this - "Piskha". This is an Aramaic name that spread in some languages ​​of Europe and has survived to this day.

No matter how you pronounce the word, the essence of Easter does not change, for all believers this is the most important celebration. A bright holiday that brings joy and hope to the hearts of believers all over the Earth.

"Christ on the Cross" by Franciscode Zurbaran.

The history of the holiday before the birth of Christ, or Old Testament Easter

The holiday originated long before the birth of Christ, but the significance of the Passover holiday in those days was very great for the Jewish people. The story goes that the Jews were once held captive by the Egyptians. The slaves suffered a lot of bullying, troubles and oppression from their masters. But faith in God, hope for salvation and God's mercy always lived in their hearts.

"Lamentation over Christ." Sandro Botticelli.

On Easter day, playing joyfully,
The lark flew high,
And in the blue sky, disappearing,
He sang a song of resurrection.

And that song was loudly repeated
And the steppe, and the hill, and the dark forest.
Wake up, earth, - they were broadcasting, -
Wake up: Your King, your God is Risen!

Wake up mountains, valleys, rivers,
Praise the Lord from Heaven.
He defeated death forever -
Wake up and you, green forest.

Snowdrop, silver lily of the valley,
Violet - bloom again
And sing out the fragrant hymn
To the One Whose commandment is love. "

Princess E. Gorchakova

Risen Christ. K.P. Bryullov. 1840s

Sketch for the Cathedral of Christ the Savior in Moscow. The plan was not realized. State Russian Museum, St. Petersburg

One day a man named Moses came to them, who with his brother had been sent by him for salvation. The Lord chose Moses to enlighten the Egyptian Pharaoh and deliver the Jewish people from slavery. But no matter how hard Moses tried to convince Pharaoh to let the people go, freedom was not granted to them. The Egyptian Pharaoh and his people did not believe in God, worshiping only their deities and relying on the help of sorcerers. To prove the existence and power of the Lord, nine terrible executions were unleashed on the Egyptian people.

The Appearance of Christ to His Disciples after the Resurrection. F.I. Ivanov. 1850 g.

No bloody rivers, no toads, no midges, no flies, no darkness, no thunder - none of this could have happened if the ruler had let the people and their cattle go. The last, tenth execution, like the previous ones, punished the Pharaoh and his people, but did not affect the Jews. Moses warned that each family must slaughter a one year old male virgin lamb. Anoint the doors of their houses with the blood of an animal, bake a lamb and eat it with the whole family.

Christ among the disciples after the resurrection. I.E. Repin. 1886 g.

At night, all the first-born males were killed in houses among people and animals. Only the houses of the Jews, where there was a bloody mark, were not affected by the trouble. Since then, "Easter" means - passed by, passed. This execution greatly frightened Pharaoh, and he released the slaves with all their flocks. The Jews went to the sea, where the water opened up, and they calmly set off along the bottom of it. Pharaoh wanted to break his promise again and rushed after them, but the water swallowed him.

Jews began to celebrate the liberation from slavery and their families' passing of executions, calling the holiday Easter. The history and significance of the Easter holiday is recorded in the Bible in the book "Exodus".

The appearance of Christ to Mary Magdalene. A. E Egorov. 1818 g.

Easter New Testament

On the land of Israel, Jesus Christ was born to the Virgin Mary, who was destined to save human souls from the slavery of hell. At thirty, Jesus began to preach, teaching people about the laws of God. But three years later, he was crucified along with other objectionable authorities on the cross, which was installed on Mount Calvary. It happened after the Jewish Passover, on Friday, which was later christened Passionate. This event adds new meaning, traditions and attributes to the meaning of the Easter holiday.

Vasily Igorevich Nesterenko. Crucifixion. 1999.

Vasily Vasilievich Vereshchagin. Crucifixion among the Romans. 1887.

Christ, like a lamb, was slain, but his bones remained intact, and this became His sacrifice for the sins of all mankind.

Albrecht Altdorfer. Crucifixion. Christ on the cross. Mary and John.

Vasily Igorevich Nesterenko. The Last Supper. Patriarchal refectory of the Cathedral of Christ the Savior. 1997.

A little more history

On the eve of the crucifixion, on Thursday, took place The Last Supper where Jesus presented bread as his body and wine as blood. Since then, the meaning of the Easter holiday has not changed, but the Eucharist became the new Easter meal. At first, the holiday was weekly. Friday was a day of mourning and the beginning of fasting, and Sunday was a day of joy.

Artist Pavel Popov. The Last Supper.

In 325, at the First Ecumenical Council, it was determined Easter is celebrated on the first Sunday after the spring full moon. The Russian Orthodox Church uses Julian calendar. To calculate on what day Easter falls in a certain year, you need to make a rather complicated calculation. But for ordinary laity, a calendar of holiday dates has been drawn up for decades in advance. Over the long history of the holiday, it has acquired traditions, which to this day are adhered to in families, and signs.

Philippe de Champaigne. The Last Supper.

According to tradition, Jesus Christ, after the Resurrection, came to the apostles while the apostles were eating. It happened on Maundy Thursday. The middle seat was unoccupied, and in the middle of the table lay the bread intended for Him. Over time, a tradition arose on the festive Sunday to leave bread in the church. And they left it on a special table. Just like the apostles did.

Juan de Juanes. The Last Supper.

The Last Supper. Repin

Great post

Easter in Russia is one of the main holidays even for those people who are very rare in church. Today, in the era of high technologies and urbanization, among generations who prefer a computer to live communication, the church is slowly losing its power over the hearts and souls of people. But almost everyone, regardless of age and strength of faith, knows what Great Lent is. Traditions are passed on in families by older generations. It is seldom that anyone decides to adhere to the entire fast, most often only in the last week people somehow observe the rules. For 40 days, believers must eat without eating animal products (and on some days the fast is more strict), do not drink alcohol, pray, confess, receive communion, do good, and not speak evil.

Lapshin Georgy Alexandrovich (1885-1950) "Easter" 1920 (lived in Paris since 1924)

Smirnov Boris Vasilievich (1881-1954) "Celebrating Easter" 1918

Great Lent ends with Holy Week. The Easter service is of particular importance and scope. In modern Russia, services are broadcast live on central channels.

Julia Kuzenkova. Easter

In every church, even the smallest village, candles are lit all night and chants are sung. Millions of parishioners all over the country do not sleep all night, pray, attend services, light candles, holy food and water. And fasting ends on Sunday, after all church rites have been completed. Those who fast sit at the table and celebrate Easter.

Poor Daniil Panteleevich (1924-1989) "Easter still life" 1979

Easter greeting

From childhood, we teach children that, when welcoming a person on this holiday, they need to say: "Christ is Risen!" And answer these words: "Truly He is Risen!"

Ksenia Shafranovskaya. Easter

To learn more about what this is connected with, you need to refer to the Bible. The essence of Easter is the passing of Jesus to his Father. The story goes that Jesus was crucified on Friday (Passionate). The body was removed from the cross and buried. The coffin is a cave carved into the rock, covered with a huge stone. The bodies of the dead (there were still victims) were wrapped in fabrics and rubbed in incense. But they did not have time to perform the ceremony with the body of Jesus, since according to Jewish laws, it is strictly forbidden to work on Saturday.

Sunday morning

Women - followers of Christ - on Sunday morning went to his tomb to perform the ceremony themselves. An angel came down to them and informed them that Christ had risen. From now on Easter will be the third day - the day of the resurrection of Christ.

Entering the tomb, the women were convinced of the angel's words and brought this message to the apostles. And they communicated this good news to everyone. All believers and unbelievers should have known that the impossible happened, what Jesus said happened - Christ was resurrected.

Easter 2013 - May 5

Why Easter is the main holiday of the year

The Feast of the Bright Resurrection of Christ, Easter, is the main event of the year for Orthodox Christians and the largest Orthodox holiday. The word "Easter" came to us from the Greek language and means "passage", "deliverance." On this day, we celebrate the deliverance through Christ the Savior of all mankind from slavery to the devil and the gift of life and eternal bliss to us. As Christ's death on the cross accomplished our redemption, so His Resurrection granted us eternal life.

The Resurrection of Christ is the foundation and crown of our faith, this is the first and greatest truth that the apostles began to preach.

How is the Divine Service on Easter

About greetings and Lobzania on Easter Day

At the end of Matins, the clergy begin to confer with each other in the altar while singing the stichera. According to the Rule, “the kissing of the abbot with other priests and deacons in the holy altar is a sitse: he says come -“ Christ is risen ”. To him I answered - "Truly he is risen." The same should be done with Christians with the laity. According to the Charter, the clergy, having made Christ among themselves in the altar, proceed to Solea, and here they Christianize with each of the worshipers. But such an order could be observed only in ancient monasteries, where there were only a few brethren in the church, or in those house and parish churches where there were few worshipers. Now, in the presence of a huge congregation of pilgrims, the priest, going out with the Cross to the solea, utters a short general greeting from himself to those who are coming and ends it with a threefold proclamation, "Christ is Risen!" with the overshadowing of the Cross on three sides and after that returns to the altar.

The custom to greet each other on Easter with these words is very ancient. Greeting one another with the joy of Christ's resurrection, we become like the disciples and disciples of the Lord, who after His resurrection “said that the Lord was truly risen” (Luke 24, 34). In short words, "Christ is Risen!" contains the whole essence of our faith, all the firmness and steadfastness of our hope and hope, all the fullness of eternal joy and bliss. These words, repeated annually countless times, always, nevertheless, amaze our ears with their novelty and the meaning of a kind of supreme revelation. As from a spark, from these words, the believing heart is kindled with the fire of heavenly, holy delight, as if it senses the close presence of the Risen Lord Himself, shining with Divine light. It is clear that our exclamations "Christ is Risen!" and "Truly He is Risen!" must be animated with living faith and love for Christ.

A kiss is also associated with this Easter greeting. This is an ancient sign of reconciliation and love, dating back to the times of the Apostles. Since ancient times, it has been and is being performed on the days of Easter. Saint John Chrysostom writes about the holy kiss during Easter: “May we also remember those holy kissing, which we give each other with reverent embraces”.

Why is it customary to give each other eggs for Easter?

The custom of giving each other dyed eggs for Easter dates back to the 1st century AD. Church tradition says that in those days it was customary, when visiting the emperor, to bring him a gift. And when the poor disciple of Christ, Saint Mary Magdalene came to Rome to the emperor Tiberius preaching the faith, she gave Tiberius a simple chicken egg. Tiberius did not believe in Mary's story about the Resurrection of Christ and exclaimed: “How can someone

rise from the dead? It is as impossible as if this egg suddenly turns red. "

Immediately before the eyes of the emperor, a miracle happened - the egg turned red, testifying to the truth of the Christian faith

Why does the Church consecrate Easter and Easter cakes

Easter cake is a church ceremonial food. Kulich is a kind of artos at the lower degree of consecration. Where does the kulich come from and why are Easter cakes baked and consecrated on Easter? We Christians should especially receive communion on Easter. But since many Orthodox Christians have the custom of accepting the Holy Mysteries during Great Lent, and on the Bright Day of the Resurrection of Christ, few receive communion, then after the Liturgy is celebrated, on this day, special offerings of believers are blessed and consecrated in the church, usually called Easter and Easter cakes, so that eating from them reminded of the communion of the true Easter of Christ and united all the faithful in Jesus Christ. The consumption of the consecrated Easter cakes and Easter cakes on Bright Week among Orthodox Christians can be likened to eating the Old Testament Easter, which on the first day of the week the Easter people of God chosen ate family (Ex. 12: 3). -4). Likewise, with the blessing and consecration of Christian Easter cakes and Easter cakes, the believers on the first day of the holiday, having come home from the churches and finished the feat of fasting, as a sign of joyful unity, the whole family begin bodily reinforcement of Easter cakes and Easter, using them throughout the entire Bright Week. stopping fasting, everyone eats blessed cakes and Easter, using them throughout the entire Bright Week.

About the seven-day celebration of Easter

From the very beginning, the Easter holiday was a bright, universal, long-lasting Christian celebration. Since the Apostolic times, the feast of Christian Easter has lasted seven days, or eight, if you count all the days of the continuous celebration of Easter until Fomin Monday. Glorifying the sacred and mysterious Easter, the Easter of Christ the Redeemer, Easter opening the doors of paradise to us, the Orthodox Church during the entire bright seven-day celebration has the Royal Doors open. The royal doors do not close during the entire Bright Week even during the communion of the clergy. Beginning from the first day of Easter until Vespers of the Feast of the Holy Trinity, kneeling and bowing to the ground are not required. In the liturgical relation, the entire Bright Week is, as it were, one festive day: on all days of this week, the service is the same as on the first day, with few changes and changes. Before the beginning of the Liturgy on the days of the Easter week and before the Passover of Passover, the clergy read instead of “Heavenly King” - “Christ is Risen” (three times). Ending the bright celebration of Easter with the week, the Church continues it, albeit with less solemnity, for another thirty-two days - until the Ascension of the Lord. On the behavior of Orthodox Christians on Easter. The ancient Christians, during the great celebration of Easter, gathered every day for public worship. According to the piety of the first Christians, at the VI Ecumenical Council it was decreed for the faithful: “From the holy day of the resurrection of Christ our God to the new week (Thomas), throughout the whole week the faithful must in the holy churches incessantly exercise in psalms and songs and spiritual songs, rejoicing and triumphing in Christ, and listening to the reading of the Divine Scriptures and enjoy the holy Mysteries. For in this way, with Christ, we will be resurrected and ascended. For this, by no means on these days there is no horse race, or any other folk show. " The ancient Christians sanctified the great Easter holiday with special deeds of piety, mercy and beneficence. Imitating the Lord, who by His Resurrection freed us from the bonds of sin and death, pious kings opened dungeons on Easter days and forgave prisoners (but not criminals). Ordinary Christians these days helped the poor, the poor and the poor. Brashno (that is, food), consecrated on Easter, distributed to the poor and thus made them participants in joy on the Bright holiday.

The ancient holy custom, which is still preserved by the pious laity, is not to miss a single church service throughout the entire Bright Week.

What is artos.

The word artos is translated from Greek as "leavened bread" - consecrated bread common to all members of the Church, otherwise - whole prosphora. Artos, during the entire Bright Week, occupies the most prominent place in the church, together with the icon of the Resurrection of the Lord and, at the conclusion of the Easter celebrations, is distributed to believers. The use of artos begins from the very beginning of Christianity. On the fortieth day after the Resurrection, the Lord Jesus Christ ascended to heaven. The disciples and followers of Christ found consolation in prayerful memories of the Lord, they remembered His every word, every step and every action. When they came together for common prayer, they, remembering the Last Supper, partook of the Body and Blood of Christ. Preparing an ordinary meal, they left the first place at the table to the invisibly present Lord and laid bread on this place. Imitating the apostles, the first pastors of the Church established on the feast of the Resurrection of Christ to lay bread in the church, as a visible expression of the fact that the Savior who suffered for us has become for us the true bread of life. The artos depicts a cross, on which only the crown of thorns is visible, but there is no Crucified one - as a sign of Christ's victory over death, or an image of the Resurrection of Christ. The ancient church tradition that the apostles left at the table part of the bread of the Most Pure Mother of the Lord as a reminder of constant communion with Her and after the meal reverently shared this part among themselves is also connected with artos. In monasteries, this custom is called the Chin of Panagia, that is, the remembrance of the Most Holy Mother of the Lord. In parish churches, this bread of Our Lady is remembered once a year in connection with the fragmentation of artos. Artos is consecrated with a special prayer, sprinkling with holy water and burning incense on the first day of Holy Easter at the Liturgy after the prayer behind the ambo. Artos relies on salt, against the Royal Doors, on a prepared table or lectern. After the consecration of the artos with a lectern with artos, they are placed on the sole in front of the image of the Savior, where the artos lies throughout the entire Holy Week. It is kept in the church throughout the entire Bright Week on a lectern in front of the iconostasis. On all days of Bright Week, at the end of the Liturgy with artos, a procession of the cross is solemnly performed around the church. On the Saturday of Bright Week, after the prayer behind the ambo, a prayer is read to shatter the artos, the artos is shattered, and at the end of the Liturgy, when kissing the Cross, it is distributed to the people as a shrine.

How to store and take artos

Particles of artos, received in the temple, are reverently preserved by believers as spiritual healing from diseases and infirmities. Artos is used in special cases, for example, in illness, and always with the words "Christ is Risen!"

How the dead are commemorated on Easter days

On Easter, many visit the cemetery, where the graves of their loved ones are located. Unfortunately, in some families there is a blasphemous custom to accompany these visits to the graves of their relatives with a wild drunken revelry. But even those who do not celebrate pagan drunken feasts on the graves of their loved ones, so offensive to any Christian feeling, often do not know when on Easter days it is possible and necessary to commemorate the dead.

The first commemoration of the departed takes place on the second week, after Fomin's Sunday, on Tuesday. The basis for this commemoration is, on the one hand, the memory of the descent of Jesus Christ into hell, combined with Fomin's resurrection, and on the other, the permission of the Church Rule to create the usual commemoration of the dead, starting with Fomin Monday. With this permission, believers come to the graves of their neighbors with the joyful news of the Resurrection of Christ, hence the day of commemoration itself is called Radonitsa.

How to properly commemorate the departed

Prayer for the departed is the greatest and most important thing that we can do for those who have passed away. By and large, the deceased does not need a coffin or a monument - all this is a tribute to traditions, albeit pious ones. But the eternally living soul of the deceased feels a great need for our constant prayer, because it itself cannot do good deeds with which it would be able to propitiate God. That is why home prayer for loved ones, prayer at the cemetery at the grave of the deceased is the duty of every Orthodox Christian. But the commemoration in the Church provides special help to the deceased. Before visiting the cemetery, you should come to the temple at the beginning of the service, submit a note with the names of the deceased relatives for commemoration in the altar (best of all, if it is a commemoration at a proskomedia, when a piece of the deceased is removed from a special prosphora, and then as a sign of washing away his sins lowered into the Chalice with the Holy Gifts). After the Liturgy, a panikhida should be served. Prayer will be more effective if the one who commemorates this day himself takes part in the Body and Blood of Christ. It is very useful to donate to the church, to give alms to the poor with a request to pray for the departed.

How to behave in a cemetery

Arriving at the cemetery, you need to light a candle, perform a litiya (this word literally means intensified prayer. To perform the rite of litiya at the commemoration of the dead, you must invite a priest. and in the brochure "How to behave in a cemetery" published by our publishing house). Then clean up the grave or just be silent, remember the deceased. There is no need to eat or drink in the cemetery, it is especially unacceptable to pour vodka into the grave mound - this insults the memory of the dead. The custom to leave a glass of vodka and a piece of bread on the grave “for the deceased” is a relic of paganism and should not be observed in Orthodox families. There is no need to leave food on the grave, it is better to give it to the beggar or the hungry.

Tomorrow is the Ascension of the Lord. The Easter period ends, during which, instead of the usual greeting, Christians say to each other: "Christ is Risen!" How many times have we said these words? And what are they to us? Just a greeting, a tribute to tradition, or something more important? Ponders the wise Archimandrite Andrew (Konanos).

You say to me "Christ is Risen", and to your friend - "Get out!"

Easter has come. I came to my schoolchildren for a lesson. And the children know perfectly well that since I am a priest, a theologian, then these days I will certainly greet them with the words: "Christ is Risen!" And so I entered the classroom - but at the same time did not begin to tell the students these words (of course, on purpose). I just greeted them and asked:

- How are you? What's new?

And then one of the guys says to me in response:

- Father, you need to say "Christ is Risen!"

- Ah, indeed he is risen! Happy Holidays!

“But you yourself didn’t tell us that!

- Yes, I didn’t.

The rest of the guys sat at this time and listened with amazement as their classmate teaches me what I should say.

At this time, there was a knock, and the head of a boy from another class appeared in the doorway.

“Sorry,” the boy said. - Guys, please give us your basketball! We have nothing to play with.

And then my students shouted back:

- Leave! We won't give you any ball! We gave it to you then, and you lost it. That's it, no ball! Get out!

The poor boy was embarrassed and left, closing the door behind him.

And I told my students:

- Guys, you shouted so much that you completely forgot to tell your comrade the words that were spoken to me a minute ago.

- What words?

- Christ is Risen! You had to say: “Get out of here! Christ is Risen!"

The guys stared at me in surprise.

- What do you have in mind?

- The same as you had in mind - five minutes ago.

When I entered your room, you made a perfectly fair remark to me. I should have greeted you with an Easter greeting - "Christ is Risen!" But these words - Christ is risen! - so strong, so realistic that just repeating them out loud is not enough. We must confirm them with deeds. Transform. Thinking in a new way. Feel in a new way. Whatever happens in our life. You can easily say to me: "Christ is risen!" "Christ is risen!", And at the same time: "Close the door, do not bother us!"

The Resurrection of Christ - What Does It Have to Do with Me?

These words - "Christ is Risen" - means that we are also raised together with Him. Otherwise, it turns out what I heard as a very boy from a friend of mine in high school. He said mockingly:

- Christ is risen! But what does this have to do with me?

He is resurrected, and I? And you? Are we all? What is the significance of the Resurrection of Christ in our lives, here and now? Does this event affect the reality in which we live today?

Here, for example, cousins ​​meet on Easter, and - from the doorway:

- Happy Holidays! Christ is Risen! Let's have some coffee, let's talk!

And so they sit down and begin to discuss what to say in court against a third relative with whom they are sharing property. They discuss, agree, the meeting comes to an end, and - “Well, bye, see you in court! Don't forget what I told you, this is very important! Well, happily. Christ is Risen!"

Christ is risen. But by our actions, like by pressing the Delete key, we "erase" these words from our life. We say “Christ is Risen!”, But in our life we ​​have no Resurrection. We still have a grave chill from selfishness, passions, weaknesses and vices. But it is precisely the Resurrection, the renewal of one's own life, that is the ultimate goal. Yes, Lord! This is what we pray for. And now I'm not going to lecture you. I just want you to be more attentive to your own words. Remember what the Old Testament says? “Do not take the Name of the Lord Thy God in vain” (Ex. 20: 7). And we calmly pronounce sacred words, which we do not confirm with deeds.

We'll call you, father!

Once I called my friend, an Orthodox Christian, about whom I knew that he was not a poor man.

- Christ is Risen!

- Truly he is risen! He replied.

This man knew well how to respond to the Easter greeting. His answer was absolutely correct.

- You know, there is one poor family here, they need money ...

- Father, what can I do ... You know, now there is a crisis, everyone has problems ... God grant that their situation is somehow resolved ... I can not help you. We'll call you, father! Christ is Risen.

- Truly he is risen! - I answered. - Goodbye.

Christ has risen, but we are still avaricious, greedy and stingy. Our heart is still closed. We are not resurrected. Our love of money, our selfishness is still alive and will not die in any way.

After this conversation, I turned with my request to another person who does not really believe in God, does not go to church and does not live a church life, unlike us. His inner world is closed from me. And he did not greet me with the words "Christ is Risen!" But, as soon as he heard about a family in need, this man immediately gave me five hundred euros with the words:

- Take it, father, do with this money what you want. Give them to those who need them.

In essence, what the Lord meant when he said that the publicans and harlots would be the first to enter the Kingdom of God (Matt. 21:31) happened.

I turned to this man with the words: "Christ is risen!" True, I don't know if I put it right. "

You ask me, "Is this right?" No, it is much more correct to say "Christ is Risen!" and at the same time love the Lord, live by Him and fulfill the Gospel commandments with your own life. And I'm not saying that I like it better when a person is an atheist and at the same time lives like a Christian (there really are such people: they call themselves atheists, but in reality they are not atheists, because their soul is high, their love is active, and their heart is compassionate for the distress and pain of others).

Is Christ Risen in Our Lives?

One man once told Elder Paisius about his sister, who at night led a dissolute life and worked in the hospital during the day:

- Father, my sister is dying! She will go to hell! After all, she goes to taverns, sins, sells her body!

In response, the elder asked him:

- Does your sister work in a hospital?

- When she looks after the sick, is she humble, kind? Does she help them?

- Yes, father! Helps a lot! She loves the sick, washes and feeds the elderly who can no longer walk, without any disgust, fulfills all their requests, looks after them as if they were her parents.

“Don't worry, my child. The Lord will help her.

- But, father, she hardly goes to church! It has nothing to do with what we do!

We do ... What do we do? We say "Christ is Risen," and immediately we thrust a knife into the back of our neighbor. Such a very beautiful knife, with the inscription "Christ is Risen". It is for you! Christ is Risen! And condemnation, hostility, hatred, vices continue - no change, no transformation.

Christ is Risen! Truly Risen! But is Christ resurrected in our lives? Or do we perceive the Resurrection simply as some kind of historical event? It is not without reason that I remembered the words of my school friend. What does the Resurrection of Christ mean? What happened after He was resurrected? Is He risen only for Himself? The icons depict how the resurrected Savior holds Adam by the hand, freeing him and Eve from the hellish grave. And how can the Resurrection of Christ take us from there? How can it resurrect us?

Yes, the Lord is indeed resurrected. And He transforms people, changes them, after His love penetrates into their souls. Then both the soul and the body are transformed. The whole person is transformed. Everything in him changes - his soul, his heart. Peace settles in the soul, and the person calms down, calmly falls asleep and joyfully awakens, with the desire to live - to work and improve. All this is given by the Lord.