Christ is Risen!

Long before midnight, along the walls built with colossal stones, you could see endless lines of gray shadows passing the silent snow covered towers of the monastery, moving toward the old church… It is quiet. In silence the exhausted souls wait the holy words of the paschal prayers. Their ears strain to catch the singing from the open doors of the church. During this dark night, playing in multiple colours, danced the rays of the Northern Lights… Then, from the wide opened doors of the church appears a procession – a procession never seen or imagined before. Seventeen bishops in vestments surrounded by lit torches, over 200 priests, as many monks followed by waves of those whose hearts and thoughts were soaring toward their Savior in this mysterious, unforgettable night… Suddenly, with a voice of unearthly power sounded the words pronounced by Bishop Illarion: “LET GOD ARISE, AND LET HIS ENEMIES BE SCATTERED”… Then, just as powerfully, “CHRIST IS RISEN!” “INDEED HE IS RISEN!” flowed over the snow covered fields. “INDEED HE IS RISEN!” resounded under the glorious dome of the lit up sky. “INDEED HE IS RISEN!” echoed in the depth of the forest… Swollen, white lips, bloody, cracked, whispered the words of the promised eternal life. In a victorious, joyous song joined those whose death was so near, death they could expect at any minute, any day… The walls of the prison built by bloody hands fell. Christ’s blood spilled in love gives eternal and joyous life… That night the words “AND UPON THOSE IN THE TOMBS BESTOWING LIFE!” resounded as an inextinguishable truth. The joy of hope tore into their torn hearts and earthly suffering: the eternal life of the Spirit of Christ made them say, “We shall die, but we shall be raised! We shall be born again!”… And I will never forget it! NEVER!

From one of my favorite Ancient Faith Radio podcasts by Fr. John Hainsworth from his series 'Paradosis' titled 'This is not a safe book'