Come all believers to bow before Christ’s Holy Resurrection – pastoral message Vladimir, Metropolitan of Chisinau and Entire Moldova

[Beloved brethren and sisters in Christ Who Resurrected,] [Christ has resurrected!] These saving words, expected everywhere with benevolence and piety, sound today in the entire Christian world. Through goodness of God’s love, the holiday of Our Lord’s Resurrection has spelled on us this year, too. The paschal greeting "Christ has resurrected!" is the biggest news of joy, consolation and hope. Christ defeated the death, through His death on the Cross. By Christ’s sacrifice, man was given the opportunity to return to God, to obey Him and to taste again the love of the obeisance lost by falling in sin. The holiday of Christ’s Resurrection is the Mystery of Our Savior’s passing from death to life, the Mystery of live pouring from the life-bearing tomb. Christ defeated the fear of death. The eternal greeting "Christ has resurrected!" with the answer "Verily has He resurrected!" is the testimony of faith of each believer about the mysterious truth on which the entire saving teaching, Christian experience and liturgical canon of the Church are based. On this day, we have been called by the Holy Ghost to gather around God’s altar, to hear the voice of the angel from the tomb: Why do you look for The Living among the dead? He is not here; He has risen!" (Lk. XXIV, 5-6). “After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb." (Mt. XXVIII, 1), to oil the Body of their Master and Lord. "They found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus." It fell on the women’s lot to see the Lord Jesus resurrected and they were ordered to start their mission by preaching the resurrection of the Crucified Lord to others. The sparkle of the wonder in those women’s hearts turned into a shining flame of testimony that lasted for centuries. The light of Jesus’ Resurrection made the despair, the sin and the death disappear. Springing from the tomb’s darkness, the resurrection message continues to shed light and to strengthen people. [Beloved pastors of souls and spiritual sons,] When celebrating, we should recall the words said to Ezekiel: "You will learn I am God and I give life to you!" The old promise accomplished in the Lord’s resurrection. This gift of the resurrection was planned not only for a certain number of people, but for the entire humankind. We, beloved believers, are heirs of this promise. The resurrection light unveiled the boundless love Christ has for us and shares with us. The wonder of the resurrection is preached and sung today as much as when this event of universal importance actually occurred. The decisive fact of Jesus having passed through this life was His resurrection. The mysterious birth from the immaculate body of Holy Virgin Mary, His teaching and wonders, His sacrificing on Golgotha’s Cross, all those gain immortal sense and value only through his Rise from the dead. Without His resurrection, Christianity would not have been born, neither the Church. Holy Apostle Paul, as no one else, understanding the value of the Lord’s Rise for the destiny of Christianity, wrote to the Corinthians: “And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith.” ( I Cor 15:14). But "Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep." (l Cor. 15, 20). [Truly-glorifying Christians,] On the way of Holy Lent, some of us made more effort, other, maybe, less, but today, all of us are called to equally be joyous, through the words, inspired by the Holy Ghost, of Saint John Chrysostom: "Everybody taste from the feast of the faith, everybody take from the wealth of goodness!" These days, when, in churches, they sing the paschal hymn "Christ has resurrected, with death treading death and giving life to the ones from graves", let us strengthen spiritually and recall His encouraging godly word: "In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world." (Jn XVI, 33). The Lord’s resurrection, the Holiday of holidays, is the day of our joy, the day of Almighty’s victory, the day announcing the eternal joy that we shall celebrate spiritually. Let us taste from the Master’s feast and let us thank Him for all He gives us. Let us bring our pure, sinless life, by obeying the commandments and by the communion with the Holy Body and His Holy Blood as pleasant fruit to Him. Let the Resurrection Holiday plentifully spell into our lives, let it bring light in our houses and souls; let it strengthen our faith, hope and holy love. I pray Lord Jesus Who resurrected to give spiritual joy, health and success, to bless your families and houses, to guide your steps towards good deeds, in His glory. These days, may no one from our spiritual sons remain without the joy of the Holiday of the holidays, but wherever he may be, either here with us in the church, or for other blessed concerns, may he say with us now: [Christ has resurrected!] [Verily has He resurrected!]