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CHRIST IS RISEN! ( 05.05.2005 )

“Offspring of His vine come, on the very day of the Resurrection to be enlisted in Christ’s Kingdom, unto the ages praising God.”

 

“He Who granted to mankind resurrection, is brought in as a lamb on slaughter, the infernal princes did shiver, and the door of mourning fell down: the King of glory came in, telling the subjects ‘go out!’ and those in darkness ‘become illumined!’

 

 

 

 

 

Christ’s Resurrection in Skopje and in the towns throughout the country was celebrated by thousands of Orthodox Christians, who on the Saturday before midnight filled the churches and the monasteries of the Macedonian Orthodox Church, taking part in the worship services at the Vigil on the Sunday Paschal night. As rivers, on the boulevards around the cathedral of Saint Clement of Ohrid, in the widest surrounding of the church of the Holy Great-martyr Demetrius in Skopje, in the much visited church of the Venerable Parasceva and throughout the city, the people made haste to celebrate under the grace of the Resurrection, as rarely otherwise recognising themselves in the devout multitude as Body of Christ. The State dignitaries—at their own discretion and out of love towards the faith of the people—themselves came to pay tribute to the intransient Light and incorruptible Truth, Christ our Lord, and to worship His life-giving and for centuries celebrated Resurrection.

 

 

 

 

 

Lord, Your birth from the Father is beginningless and unceasing, Your incarnation from the Virgin to people inconceivable and ineffable, and the descent in the hades, for the devil and his angels fearsome. You conquered death, rose on the third day, granting man incorruption and great mercy.”

 

“With Your Cross You removed the curse of the tree, with Your burial the power of death You mortified, with Your Resurrection You enlightened mankind. Therefore to You we cry out: Our God, glory to You, benefactor Christ!”

 

 

 

 

 

 

“Truly sacred and all-festive this salvific night is of the light-bearing day, and radiant, of the resurrection forerunner. In it the unoriginate light of the tomb physically to all shone forth.”

 

“Though You descended into a tomb, O Immortal, yet you destroyed the power of Hell; and You arose as victor, O Christ God, calling to the myrrh-bearing women ‘rejoice!’, and giving peace to Your apostles, O You Who grant resurrection to the fallen.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

Archbishop Stephen of Ohrid and Macedonia, at the Paschal Midnight service procession in the cathedral of Saint Clement of Ohrid proclaimed the joyous news distributing light amid the numberless faithful and to the majestic greeting ‘Christ is risen!’ was given the ancient response ‘Truly He is risen!’. On the Sunday morning in the church of Saint Clement Hierarchs’ Divine Liturgy was celebrated with His Beatitude as the head celebrant, in the presence of a multitude of faithful.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

With the hope that Divine grace will bring many to the deeper dimensions of the faith in the Truth, that is Christ, reaching their hearts to find within them the pledge of the Holy Spirit received with Baptism, we all to head towards the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, taking unreservedly the model of the philanthropic Lord for the sake of the fullness of our personal resurrection. Amen.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“The angel called Master, You, the crucified and buried, saying to the women: ‘Come, behold the place where the Lord did lie, He rose as prophesied, for He is all-mighty. Therefore we worship You, the only immortal, Life-giver Christ, have mercy on us.”