In his Encyclical for Great and Holy Pascha, Archbishop Elpidophoros of America rhapsodizes, “We cry out with our hearts aflame with joy, even as our candles shine brightly and dispel the gloom of night: Christ is risen from the dead, by death trampling down upon death, and to those in the tombs He has granted life!”
As the congregation spilled onto the Upper Manhattan streets to proclaim the Resurrection, streams of candles illumined the blocks surrounding the Archdiocesan Cathedral of the Holy Trinity.
And for a glimmering moment the resounding Paschal hymn of victory bridged the near-moonless sky and earth—an affirmation of Christ’s descent to the lowest depths “to find us and to bring us home to Heaven.”
In his festal exhortation, the Archbishop urged the faithful, “let us honor [Christ’s] journey from Heaven to earth, from earth to Hades, and back again for our salvation. Let us embrace one another with love and compassion, forgetting no one and forgiving everyone. Thus, we will rise from the lowest depths of our struggles and challenges, to the celestial heights of God’s glory and life everlasting.”
Joining the Archbishop of America in celebration of the Feast of Feasts was Chancellor of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America, the V. Rev. Archimandrite Nektarios Papazafiropoulos, Cathedral Dean, Rev. Economos Fr. Nicholas Karloutsos, Rev. Presbyter Fr. Elias Pappas, Rev. Archdeacon Fr. Dionysios Papiris, and Rev. Deacon Fr. Michael Giavris.
Source: Orthodox Observer
