April 15-16, 2017 Holy Saturday Easter Sunday Resurrection Service of Our Lord Jesus Christ The Divine Liturgy According to St.

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1 April 15-16, 2017 Holy Saturday Easter Sunday Resurrection Service of Our Lord Jesus Christ The Divine Liturgy According to St. John Chrysostom SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENTS Agape Service: The Agape Service will begin at 12 noon on Easter Sunday. As is tradition, the Gospel will be read in several languages. Please make an effort to attend this beautiful service. Easter Egg Hunt: The children of the parish are invited to join us for an Easter Egg Hunt following the Agape Service on Easter Sunday. Office Closed for Bright Monday: In observance of Bright Monday, the Parish Office will be closed this Monday, April 17 th. St. Nicholas Shrine Vigil Candle: Thank you to an Anonymous Donor for sponsoring the 4/16/17 vigil candle for St. Nicholas Shrine in memory of Anthony Tsokas. Anyone wishing to sponsor a vigil candle should sign up at the Pangari. (Each vigil candle lasts one week). Each week a new vigil candle will be placed next to the icon of St. Nicholas until the construction of St. Nicholas Shrine has been completed. The asking donation is $10.

2 Albanian: Khrishti unjal! Vertet unjal! Armenian: Kristos haryav ee merelotz! Orhnial eh harootyunuh kristosee! Bulgarian: Hristos voskrese! Vo istina voskrese! French: Le Christ est ressuscite! En verite il est ressuscite! German: Christus ist erstanden! Er ist wahrhaftig erstanden! Italian: Cristo e' risorto! Veramente e' risorto! Latin: Christus resurrexit! Vere resurrexit! Polish: Khristus zmartvikstau! Zaiste zmartvikstau! Romanian: Cristos a inviat! Adevarat a inviat! Russian: Khristos voskrese! Voistinu voskrese! Spanish: Cristo ha resucitado! En verdad ha resucitado! EASTER EGG HUNT The children of the parish are invited to join us for an Easter Egg Hunt following the Agape Service on Easter Sunday. The Agape Service begins at 12:00 noon. GOSPEL READING The Reading is from Mark 16:1-8 Now when the Sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices, that they might come and anoint Him. Very early in the morning, on the first day of the week, they came to the tomb when the sun had risen. And they said among themselves, Who will roll away the stone from the door of the tomb for us? But when they looked up, they saw that the stone had been rolled away for it was very large. And entering the tomb, they saw a young man clothed in a long white robe sitting on the right side; and they were alarmed. But he said to them, Do not be alarmed. You seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He is risen! He is not here. See the place where they laid Him. But go, tell His disciples and Peter that He is going before you into Galilee; there you will see Him, as He said to you. So they went out quickly and fled from the tomb, for they trembled and were amazed. And they said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid. ΕVΑΓΓÉΛΙΟΝ Κατὰ Μáρκον 16:1-8 Καὶ διαγενομένου τοῦ σαββάτου Μαρία ἡ Μαγδαληνὴ καὶ Μαρία ἡ τοῦ Ιακώβου καὶ Σαλώμη ἠγόρασαν ἀρώματα ἵνα ἐλθοῦσαι ἀλείψωσιν αὐτόν. καὶ λίαν πρωῒ τῆς μιᾶς σαββάτων ἔρχονται ἐπὶ τὸ μνημεῖον, ἀνατείλαντος τοῦ ἡλίου. καὶ ἔλεγον πρὸς ἑαυτάς τίς ἀποκυλίσει ἡμῖν τὸν λίθον ἐκ τῆς θύρας τοῦ μνημείου; καὶ ἀναβλέψασαι θεωροῦσιν ὅτι ἀποκεκύλισται ὁ λίθος ἦν γὰρ μέγας σφόδρα. καὶ εἰσελθοῦσαι εἰς τὸ μνημεῖον εἶδον νεανίσκον καθήμενον ἐν τοῖς δεξιοῖς, περιβεβλημένον στολὴν λευκήν, καὶ ἐξεθαμβήθησαν. ὁ δὲ λέγει αὐταῖς μὴ ἐκθαμβεῖσθε Ιησοῦν ζητεῖτε τὸν Ναζαρηνὸν τὸν ἐσταυρωμένον ἠγέρθη, οὐκ ἔστιν ὧδε ἴδε ὁ τόπος ὅπου ἔθηκαν αὐτόν. ἀλλ ὑπάγετε εἴπατε τοῖς μαθηταῖς αὐτοῦ καὶ τῷ Πέτρῳ ὅτι προάγει ὑμᾶς εἰς τὴν Γαλιλαίαν ἐκεῖ αὐτὸν ὄψεσθε, καθὼς εἶπεν ὑμῖν. καὶ ἐξελθοῦσαι ἔφυγον ἀπὸ τοῦ μνημείου εἶχε δὲ αὐτὰς τρόμος καὶ ἔκστασις, καὶ οὐδενὶ οὐδὲν εἶπον ἐφοβοῦντο γάρ.

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4 RESURRECTION HYMN Χριστός Ανέστη έκ νεκρών, θανάτω θάνατον πατήσας, καί τοίς εν τοίς μνήμασι, ζωήν χαρισάμενος. Christos anesti ek nekron, thanato thanaton patisas, ke tis en tis mnimasi zoin harisamenos. Christ is risen from the dead, by death, trampling down upon death, and to those in the tombs He has granted life. At the conclusion of each service during the Paschal season until the eve of Ascension, the following responses are made: Priest: Ιερεύς: Christ is Risen! Χριστός Ανέστη! Christos Anesti People: Truly, He is Risen! Ο Λαός: Aληθώς Ανέστη! Alithos Anesti Priest: Ιερεύς: Glory to His third-day Resurrection. Δόξα τή Αυτού τριημέρω εγέρσει. Doxa ti Aftou triemero egersei People: We worship His third-day Resurrection Ο Λαός: Προσκυνούμεν Αυτού τήν τριήμερον έγερσιν. Proskinoumen Aftu tin triemeron egersin.

5 EPISTLE READING The Reading is from Acts of the Apostles 1:1-8 This is the day which the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it. Verse: Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; for his mercy endures for ever. IN THE FIRST BOOK, O Theophilos, I have dealt with all that Jesus began to do and teach, until the day when he was taken up, after he had given commandment through the Holy Spirit to the apostles whom he had chosen. To them he presented himself alive after his passion by many proofs, appearing to them during forty days, and speaking of the kingdom of God. And while staying with them he charged them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father, which, he said, "you heard from me, for John baptized with water, but before many days you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit." So when they had come together, they asked him, "Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom of lsrael?" He said to them, "it is not for you to know times or seasons which the Father has fixed by his own authority. But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria and to the end of the earth." Ἀνάγνωσις ἐπιστολῆς Πράξεις Ἀποστόλων 1:1-8 Aὕτη ἡ ἡμέρα, ἣν ἐποίησεν ὁ Κύριος ἀγαλλιασώμεθα καὶ εὐφρανθῶμεν ἐν αὐτῇ Στίχ. ἐξομολογεῖσθε τῷ Κυρίῳ, ὅτι ἀγαθός, ὅτι εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα τὸ ἔλεος αὐτοῦ Τὸν μὲν πρῶτον λόγον ἐποιησάμην περὶ πάντων, ὦ Θεόφιλε, ὧν ἤρξατο ὁ Ἰησοῦς ποιεῖν τε καὶ διδάσκειν, ἄχρι ἧς ἡμέρας, ἐντειλάμενος τοῖς ἀποστόλοις διὰ πνεύματος ἁγίου οὓς ἐξελέξατο, ἀνελήφθη οἷς καὶ παρέστησεν ἑαυτὸν ζῶντα μετὰ τὸ παθεῖν αὐτὸν ἐν πολλοῖς τεκμηρίοις, διʼ ἡμερῶν τεσσαράκοντα ὀπτανόμενος αὐτοῖς, καὶ λέγων τὰ περὶ τῆς βασιλείας τοῦ θεοῦ. Καὶ συναλιζόμενος παρήγγειλεν αὐτοῖς ἀπὸ Ἱεροσολύμων μὴ χωρίζεσθαι, ἀλλὰ περιμένειν τὴν ἐπαγγελίαν τοῦ πατρός, Ἣν ἠκούσατέ μου ὅτι Ἰωάννης μὲν ἐβάπτισεν ὕδατι, ὑμεῖς δὲ βαπτισθήσεσθε ἐν πνεύματι ἁγίῳ οὐ μετὰ πολλὰς ταύτας ἡμέρας. Οἱ μὲν οὖν συνελθόντες ἐπηρώτων αὐτὸν λέγοντες, Κύριε, εἰ ἐν τῷ χρόνῳ τούτῳ ἀποκαθιστάνεις τὴν βασιλείαν τῷ Ἰσραήλ; Εἶπεν δὲ πρὸς αὐτούς, Οὐχ ὑμῶν ἐστιν γνῶναι χρόνους ἢ καιροὺς οὓς ὁ πατὴρ ἔθετο ἐν τῇ ἰδίᾳ ἐξουσίᾳ. Ἀλλὰ λήψεσθε δύναμιν, ἐπελθόντος τοῦ ἁγίου πνεύματος ἐφʼ ὑμᾶς καὶ ἔσεσθέ μοι μάρτυρες ἔν τε Ἱερουσαλήμ, καὶ ἐν πάσῃ τῇ Ἰουδαίᾳ καὶ Σαμαρείᾳ, καὶ ἕως ἐσχάτου τῆς γῆς.

6 GOSPEL READING The Reading is from the Gospel of John 1:1-17 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God; all things were made through him, and without him was not anything made that was made. In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. He came for testimony, to bear witness to the light, that all might believe through him. He was not the light, but came to bear witness to the light. The true light that enlightens every man was coming into the world. He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world knew him not. He came to his own home, and his own people received him not. But to all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God; who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God. And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, full of grace and truth; we have beheld his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father. (John bore witness to him, and cried, "This was he of whom I said, 'He who comes after me ranks before me, for he was before me.'") And from his fullness have we all received, grace upon grace. For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. ΕVΑΓΓÉΛΙΟΝ Κατὰ Ἰωάννην Ἐν ἀρχῇ ἦν ὁ Λόγος, καὶ ὁ Λόγος ἦν πρὸς τὸν Θεόν, καὶ Θεὸς ἦν ὁ Λόγος. Οὗτος ἦν ἐν ἀρχῇ πρὸς τὸν Θεόν. πάντα δι αὐτοῦ ἐγένετο, καὶ χωρὶς αὐτοῦ ἐγένετο οὐδὲ ἓν ὃ γέγονεν. ἐν αὐτῷ ζωὴ ἦν, καὶ ἡ ζωὴ ἦν τὸ φῶς τῶν ἀνθρώπων. καὶ τὸ φῶς ἐν τῇ σκοτίᾳ φαίνει, καὶ ἡ σκοτία αὐτὸ οὐ κατέλαβεν. Εγένετο ἄνθρωπος ἀπεσταλμένος παρὰ Θεοῦ, ὄνομα αὐτῷ Ιωάννης οὗτος ἦλθεν εἰς μαρτυρίαν, ἵνα μαρτυρήσῃ περὶ τοῦ φωτός, ἵνα πάντες πιστεύσωσι δι αὐτοῦ. οὐκ ἦν ἐκεῖνος τὸ φῶς, ἀλλ ἵνα μαρτυρήσῃ περὶ τοῦ φωτός. Ην τὸ φῶς τὸ ἀληθινόν, ὃ φωτίζει πάντα ἄνθρωπον ἐρχόμενον εἰς τὸν κόσμον. ἐν τῷ κόσμῳ ἦν, καὶ ὁ κόσμος δι αὐτοῦ ἐγένετο, καὶ ὁ κόσμος αὐτὸν οὐκ ἔγνω. εἰς τὰ ἴδια ἦλθε, καὶ οἱ ἴδιοι αὐτὸν οὐ παρέλαβον. ὅσοι δὲ ἔλαβον αὐτόν, ἔδωκεν αὐτοῖς ἐξουσίαν τέκνα Θεοῦ γενέσθαι, τοῖς πιστεύουσιν εἰς τὸ ὄνομα αὐτοῦ, οἳ οὐκ ἐξ αἱμάτων, οὐδὲ ἐκ θελήματος σαρκός, οὐδὲ ἐκ θελήματος ἀνδρός, ἀλλ ἐκ Θεοῦ ἐγεννήθησαν. Καὶ ὁ Λόγος σὰρξ ἐγένετο καὶ ἐσκήνωσεν ἐν ἡμῖν, καὶ ἐθεασάμεθα τὴν δόξαν αὐτοῦ, δόξαν ὡς μονογενοῦς παρὰ πατρός, πλήρης χάριτος καὶ ἀληθείας. Ιωάννης μαρτυρεῖ περὶ αὐτοῦ καὶ κέκραγε λέγων οὗτος ἦν ὃν εἶπον, ὁ ὀπίσω μου ἐρχόμενος ἔμπροσθέν μου γέγονεν, ὅτι πρῶτός μου ἦν. Καὶ ἐκ τοῦ πληρώματος αὐτοῦ ἡμεῖς πάντες ἐλάβομεν, καὶ χάριν ἀντὶ χάριτος ὅτι ὁ νόμος διὰ Μωϋσέως ἐδόθη, ἡ χάρις καὶ ἡ ἀλήθεια διὰ Ιησοῦ Χριστοῦ ἐγένετο.

7 To Parents of Young Children: In case you are not aware, our church has a Cry/Bride Room in the Narthex. For those parents whose young children might understandably get fussy during a service, please feel free to take your youngster into that room for a short while. (There is a closed circuit TV showing the service in the room as well as a bathroom/changing station). The intention is NOT to relegate you to another room; rather, this will enable you to attend to your child in a quiet environment before bringing him/her back into the church. Register Tapes: Don t forget to save your Shop-Rite register tapes. We can only use receipts from any of the ten Brown s stores located in: Bensalem PA, East Norriton, PA, Fairless Hills PA, Cheltenham, PA and in Philadelphia, PA, on Island Ave., Oregon Ave., 52 nd & Parkside, Haverford Ave., and Ridge Ave. in the Roxborough section. They also have one store in Brooklawn, NJ. The drop off box is located in the lobby of the Cultural Center. Please submit receipts timely, only tapes from within 4 months of the transaction date are accepted. GIANT shoppers: We have enrolled in their Gift Card Program and the gift cards are on sale during coffee hour. If you are interested, please see Alexis Witt. REDNER S Register Tapes: We are now collecting Redner s Market register tapes. Remember to use your Pump Perks card when making purchases. The drop off box is located in the lobby of the Cultural Center. Yiayia's Attic Planning to do some household clean up? Need to make room in the garage or basement? Then bring your treasures NOW to the church balcony for sale during the Spring Grecian Festival. NO clothing, mattresses, pillows, any type of quilted items, stuffed animals or food products will be accepted. Any unsold items will be donated to a local thrift store. The proceeds benefit The Ladies Philoptochos for all their charitable contributions. Any items brought in must be placed directly in the balcony. PLEASE TAKE A LOOK AT THE YIAYIA S ATTIC AD ENCLOSED. Office Angels Volunteer Opportunities: The Parish office occasionally needs volunteers to help stuff and label mailing envelopes, assemble bulletins before special holidays, etc. Office Angels may be called upon to help once a month or seasonally (before Christmas, during Holy Week, and before our festival mailings are sent out.) If you would like to be an Office Angel, please call the Parish office at We will take down your name, number and availability and you will be called the next time we need help. Bulletin Announcements: Any church organization requesting that their announcement or flyer be placed in the bulletin must submit their material by 12 noon Wednesday for the upcoming Sunday s bulletin. Please information to elaine.stsophia@verizon.net. Thank you. Elaine Piligian In Case of Emergency: If you are having an extreme medical emergency ONLY and are in need of an Orthodox priest, please call the Parish office at

8 The mortgage balance as of 4/7/17 is $1,219, Stewardship Update April 15 16, 2017 Xristos Anesti! Christ is Risen! Today we celebrate Christ s triumphant Resurrection. He has defeated death and has given much to save all of mankind. It has been wonderful to see so many familiar and new faces join us throughout Holy Week and now as we light candles to mark the Resurrection and proclaim together Christ is Risen! As we mark Pascha, now is a most appropriate time to consider God s many blessings upon us and how we can live better Orthodox lives. Throughout the year, and especially during the Lenten and Easter season, God is calling each and every one of us! Are you listening?? As stewards of the faith, it is important that we thank God for His blessings by giving of our time, in addition to talents and treasure. In the days leading up to Pascha, we must all make time to come to church not just for adults but for children, too. Do you shop at Amazon.com? Instead, go to select St. Sophia/Ss. Faith Hope & Agape Greek Orthodox Church as your charity, then shop as you normally do. One-half of a percent of your purchase amount will automatically go to St. Sophia! Change one small habit today to help your church. Last Sunday we heard the glorious voices of our children. Special thanks to the parents who brought their children on time to participate in learning and singing the beautiful hymns. As parents, WE set the example for our children. If you do not bother to bring them on time, what does that teach them about their faith? As stewards, please keep in mind that we all need to set a good example for the next generation (as well as each other). By attending church regularly and on time we not only are showing Him the respect He deserves, but can help set the right example for others. The Stewardship Program is off to a great start! Thank you to everyone who has already returned their 2017 Pledge Card. If you have not yet returned your Pledge card, please do so today. If you have any questions, please see Tom Cox. Alithos Anesti! Truly He is Risen!

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10 GREEK ORTHODOX METROPOLIS OF NEW JERSEY ΙΕΡΑ ΜΗΤΡΟΠΟΛΙΣ ΝΕΑΣ ΙΕΡΣΕΗΣ PASCHA 2017 The Very Reverend and Reverend Clergy, Honorable Archons of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, Esteemed Members of the Metropolitan Council, Esteemed Members of the Parish Councils, Philoptochos Sisterhood, Faculty and Students of the Catechetical and Greek Afternoon Schools, Directors and Participants of all of the Youth Organizations, and all devout Orthodox Christians of the Greek Orthodox Communities of our Holy Metropolis of New Jersey My Beloved, ΧΡΙΣΤΟΣ ΑΝΕΣΤΗ!!! CHRIST IS RISEN!!! The Christian faith is life, which is Christ Himself. As our Savior Himself said: I am the way, the truth and the life. (John 14:6) Today, on the day of the Resurrection, these words are more powerful than ever. Life has become one person. The source of life has conquered death in a mystical battle recapitulating the whole of creation. However, to approach life, we must walk along the path of Christ. Along this path, we have seen temptation, despair, hatred, solitude, and weakness, to the point that every good seemed impossible, to the point that evil seemed to be victorious over life. But no! In the silence of the grave in which life reposed for three days, Christ was victorious, risen from the dead, celebrating the triumph of life. The Lord has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His Love, in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins. (Colossians 1:13-14) Pascha celebrates life. Let us sing, rejoice, be happy, love one another, and bear on ourselves the gracious seal of the Holy Spirit, thus becoming true disciples of Christ. Bearing witness to life is our primary mission. During the days of Holy and Great Lent, we struggled and prayed to God to grant us the virtues, as the symbols of the new life we receive today. During the Resurrection Service, we sing: Resurrection Day! O peoples, let us brilliantly shine! Pascha, the Lord's Pascha! For Christ our God has out of death passed us over into life, and likewise from earth to heaven, as we now sing unto Him a triumphal hymn. 215 East Grove Street, Westfield, NJ, Tel: (908) Fax: (908) Web: metropolis@nj.goarch.org

11 Our mission today is to offer the world everything that we received today. Our mission today is to make the experience of Christ s resurrection the horizon of our daily life. Our mission today is to embody what we proclaim with Saint Paul and sing during the sacrament of baptism: You who have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ, Alleluia. In other words, how can we change our life into a life in Christ? Through Christ s Resurrection, the spiritual and the material worlds were reconciled. The Christian communities did not oppose the material world; they embraced the world and offered it to the Lord with thanksgiving. As Christians, we are fully aware of the life of the world for which Christ has given His life. The early Christian Epistle to Diognetus beautifully reflects on this original experience: In a word, what the soul is in a body, this the Christians are in the world. The soul is spread through all the members of the body, and Christians through the divers cities of the world. In today s world, where we are surrounded by an unhealthy fascination for sin and evil, the message of life we carry to the world is profoundly important. The spiritual strength we receive during these joyful days should be nourished by our participation in Holy Communion, during which we participate in the source of life and receive the Holy Body and Blood of Christ as the most precious gifts. For Saint Nicholas Cabasilas, the fourteen-century Saint, there is no life in Christ without the sacraments of the Church. They reactivate in us the mystery of the events we witnessed this past week: Christ s betrayal, passion, crucifixion, death and resurrection. This is how our union with God has been realized and is still realized in the Church waiting for the Kingdom to come, because Christ: is not the God of the dead, but the God of the living. (Mark 12:27) ΧΡΙΣΤΟΣ ΑΝΕΣΤΗ!!! CHRIST IS RISEN!!! With Paternal Love and Blessings, E V A N G E L O S Metropolitan of New Jersey

12 GREEK ORTHODOX METROPOLIS OF NEW JERSEY ΙΕΡΑ ΜΗΤΡΟΠΟΛΙΣ ΝΕΑΣ ΙΕΡΣΕΗΣ ΠΟΙΜΑΝΤΟΡΙΚΗ ΕΓΚΥΚΛΙΟΣ ΑΝΑΣΤΑΣΕΩΣ 2017 Πρός τόν εὐλαβέστατον Ἱερόν Κλῆρον, Τούς Ἐντιμοτάτους Ἄρχοντας τοῦ Οἰκουμενικοῦ Πατριαρχείου, Τούς Προέδρους καί τά Μέλη τῶν Ἐκκλησιαστικῶν Συμβουλίων, Τάς Προέδρους καί τά Μέλη τῶν Φιλοπτώχων Ἀδελφοτήτων, Τούς διδάσκοντας καί διδασκομένους τῶν Κατηχητικῶν καί Ἑλληνικῶν Σχολείων, Τάς Ὀργανώσεις τῆς Νεολαίας καί ἄπαν τό Χριστεπώνυμον πλήρωμα τῶν εὐσεβῶν Ὀρθοδόξων Χριστιανῶν τῆς Ἱερᾶς Μητροπόλεως Νέας Ἰερσέης. «Θανάτου ἑορτάζομεν νέκρωσιν, ἄδου τήν καθαίρεσιν, ἄλλης βιοτῆς τῆς αἰωνίου ἀπαρχήν, καί σκιρτῶντες ὑμνοῦμεν τόν αἴτιον» (Τροπάριον Κανόνος Ἀναστάσεως) Ἀγαπητοί μου ἀδελφοί, Μέ συγκίνηση, χαρά καί ἐλπίδα μέσα στίς καρδιές μας, ὑποδεχόμαστε γιά μία ἀκόμη φορά στό διάβα τῆς ἐπιγείου ζωῆς μας τό σωτήριο μήνυμα τῆς Ἀναστάσεως τοῦ Κυρίου. Δοξολογοῦμε τόν Ἅγιον Θεόν, ὁ ὁποῖος μᾶς ἀξίωσε νά διανύσουμε τό στάδιο τῆς Μέγάλης Τεσσαρακοστῆς καί νά φθάσουμε στήν Ἁγίαν Ἀνάστασιν. Καί τούτη τήν ἁγία ὥρα, πανηγυρίζουμε τό μεγάλο γεγονός τῆς νίκης τῆς ζωῆς ἐπί τοῦ θανάτου. Ἑορτάζουμε τήν κατάργηση τοῦ σκότους πού σκέπαζε τόν κόσμο μετά τήν πτώση τῶν Πρωτοπλάστων, καί τήν ἔλευση τοῦ φωτός τοῦ μόνου ἀληθινοῦ φωτός, πού πηγάζει ἀπό τό κενό μνημεῖο τοῦ Ἀναστημένου Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ. Ἑορτάζουμε τήν καθαίρεση τοῦ Ἅδου, ὁ ὁποῖος δέν μπορεῖ πλέον νά κρατᾶ δέσμιο τό ἀνθρώπινο γένος. Ἑορτάζουμε τό ξεκίνημα, τήν ἀπαρχή μιᾶς καινούριας ζωῆς, μιᾶς ζωῆς ἐλπιδοφόρας, πού μᾶς ὑπόσχεται συγχώρηση, καθότι: «συγγνώμην ἐκ τοῦ τάφου ἀνέτειλεν». Ὡς ἐκ τούτου, σκιρτοῦμε ἀπό χαρά καί πνευματική εὐφροσύνη καί ὑμνοῦμε τόν «αἴτιον», τόν Κύριον ἡμῶν Ἱησοῦν Χριστόν, μέ ὅλη τήν δύναμη τῆς ὑπάρξεώς μας. Ἄν πραγματικά ἐπιθυμοῦμε νά ἑορτάσουμε τήν Ἀνάσταση τοῦ Κυρίου σωστά καί ὀρθόδοξα, ὀφείλουμε νά κάνουμε πράξη στην ζωή μας τήν ἀγάπη Του. Αὐτήν τήν ἀγάπη, ἡ ὁποία ἔγινε ἡ συνεκτική δύναμη οὔτως ὥστε νά ἐνανθρωπήσει ὁ Υἱός καί Λόγος τοῦ Θεοῦ, νά διέλθει τήν γῆν «εὐεργετῶν καί ιώμενος» (Πράξ. ι 38), νά ὑποστεῖ τό Θεῖον Πάθος καί νά ἀναστηθεῖ ἐκ νεκρῶν. Ἐκεῖνος, ὁ Ὁποῖος εἶναι τό ἀνυπέρβλητο πρότυπο κάθε Χριστιανοῦ, πρέπει νά γίνει ὁ δικός μας πνευματικός ὁδοδείκτης πού θά μᾶς ὁδηγήσει διά τῆς ἀγάπης στήν δική μας Ἀνάσταση. Στήν Ἀνάσταση τοῦ σώματος ἀλλά καί τοῦ πνεύματος. Ἡ Ἀνάσταση τοῦ δικοῦ μας σώματος θά γίνει κατά τήν ἡμέρα 215 East Grove Street, Westfield, NJ, Tel: (908) Fax: (908) Web:

13 τῆς κοινῆς ἀναστάσεως, τήν φρικτή ὥρα τῆς δευτέρας τοῦ Κυρίου ἐλεύσεως, ὅπως δηλώνουμε εὐθαρσῶς στό Σύμβολον τῆς Πίστεως: «προσδοκῶ ἀνάστασιν νεκρῶν καί ζωήν τοῦ μέλλοντος αἰῶνος». Ἡ ἀνάσταση ὅμως τοῦ δικοῦ μας πνεύματος, μπορεῖ νά γίνει ἀνά πᾶσα στιγμή, κατά τήν διάρκεια τῆς ἐπιγείου παρουσίας μας. Καί αὐτή ἐπιτυγχάνεται μόνον μέσω τῆς μετανοίας, τῆς ἐξομολογήσεως τῶν ἁμαρτιῶν μας καί τῆς συγχωρήσεως τῶν ἀδελφῶν μας. Ἄλλωστε, αὐτό ἀκριβῶς εἶναι τό μήνυμα τῆς τοῦ Χριστοῦ Ἀναστάσεως ἀγάπη καί συγχώρηση πρός ὅλους ἀνεξαιρέτως. Ἀγαπητοί μου ἀδελφοί, Ὡς ὁ Πνευματικός σας Πατέρας, χαίρομαι σήμερα καί μοιράζομαι μαζί σας τήν χαρά τῆς Ἀναστάσεως. Χαίρομαι διότι βλέπω τούς Ἱερούς μας Ναούς νά κατακλύζωνται αὐτήν τήν ὥρα ἀπό ὅλους ἐσᾶς, τά «φωτόμορφα τέκνα τῆς Ἐκκλησίας», πού προσήλθατε ὄχι γιά νά τηρήσετε ἕνα ἔθιμο καί μία παράδοση, ἀλλά γιά νά λατρεύσετε τό Θεανδρικό Πρόσωπο τοῦ Κυρίου, νά λάβετε τό ἅγιον Φῶς, πού συμβολίζει τήν νίκη τῆς ζωῆς, νά ψάλλετε το ΧΡΙΣΤΟΣ ΑΝΕΣΤΗ, νά δώσετε τόν ἀσπασμόν τῆς ἀγάπης καί τῆς συγχώρησης, μά πάνω απ ὅλα, νά συμμετάσχετε στήν Ἀναστάσιμη Θεία Λειτουργία, τήν λαμπροτέρα τοῦ ἔτους, καί νά μεταλάβετε τῶν Ἀχράντων Μυστηρίων, τοῦ Σώματος καί τοῦ Αἵματος τοῦ Κυρίου. Κατά τήν λαμπράν καί φωταυγῆ αὐτήν νύκτα τῆς Ἀναστάσεως, ἀς παρακαλέσουμε τόν Κύριον, ὅπως χαρίζῃ εἰρήνη στόν κόσμον, ἀγάπη στίς καρδιές μας, πρόοδο στά παιδιά καί τούς νέους μας, καθώς καί κάθε εὐλογία σέ ἐσᾶς καί τίς οἰκογένειές σας. Ὁ Θεός νά εὐλογεῖ καί νά προστατεύει τήν Ὁμογένειαά μας, καί σύντομα νά εὐδοκήσει ὥστε νά ἀναστηθεῖ καί ἡ Πατρίδα μας, ἡ Ἑλλάδα, ἀπό τά πολλαπλά πρόβλήματα πού τήν ταλαιπωροῦν τά τελευταῖα χρόνια. ΧΡΙΣΤΟΣ ΑΝΕΣΤΗ! ΧΡΟΝΙΑ ΠΟΛΛΑ ΚΑΙ ΕΥΛΟΓΗΜΕΝΑ! Μετά πατρικῆς ἀγάπης καί ἀναστασίμων εὐχῶν, Ο ΜΗΤΡΟΠΟΛΙΤΗΣ ὁ Νέας Ἰερσέης ΕΥΑΓΓΕΛΟΣ