Easter

Easter

The "Feast of Feasts" Pascha

"Christ is risen from the dead; trampling down death by death; and to those in the tomb bestowing life."

 "Christ is risen!" is the Gospel proclamation and is the joyous greeting proclaimed by all Orthodox Christians on Easter. Easter is the greatest feast of our church. It celebrates the resurrection of Christ and is the hope for all mankind. The Paschal (Easter) Service is one of the most joyous and elaborate services of the Orthodox Church with its procession, candles, and joyful hymns. These hymns remind us that God has overcome evil which causes death. Through His Son’s crucifixion and resurrection, we have been saved from our sins. During the Easter service we are called to enter into the glorious Light of the Resurrection.

    "Pascha" is the Greek and Christian word for "Passover". We "pass over" from sin and death to life with God, to life eternal. Pasha is "pesah" in Hebrew. On Easter we remember many "passovers": the passage through the Red Sea; the passage of the Hebrews from slavery in Egypt to freedom; the passage from the Old to the New Covenants (promises from God); and the passage from death to life in the resurrection.

Read John 10:17-30 to learn about Christ’s crucifixion and all that He suffered for our sake.

Read Matthew 28:1-15 to learn about the women who discovered the first sign of Christ’s Resurrection.