Paschal Encyclical 2019
Paschal encyclical 2019
Paschal Encyclical 2019 Diocese of Pallini and Western Europe
“Why seek ye the living among the dead?” (Luke 24:5)
This question of the two angels at the Most-Holy Tomb of Christ to the Myrrh-bearing
women is the joyful announcement to them of the Resurrection of Christ.
Living this very Resurrection of Christ, nothing can diminish our joy. We must
continuously hear in our hearts the words of the Book of Revelation which say, “I am he
that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys
of hell and of death.” (Revelation 1:18). Our Christ is alive evermore!
Our mission is to stop seeking the living among the dead. In the atmosphere of the joy of
the Resurrection, we must cease to seek the living God amidst conditions of the dead.
Christ warns us that, “Yet a li\le while, and the world seeth me no more; but ye see me:
because I live, ye shall live also.” We are living Christ, but it shouldn’t perplex us that the
“world seeth Him no more”. Even if those who appear to see have stopped seeing. The
“world” cannot see.
When the Jews marvelled at the wonders of the Temple, and some believed that only the
Temple ma\ered, Christ assured them that, “As for these things which ye behold, the days
will come, in the which there shall not be le` one stone upon another, that shall not be
thrown down.” (Luke 21:6). When we have with us the living and risen Christ then we
need not look to edifices to give us hope. We need not look to those who have le` the
truth, because then we will be searching the Living One, Christ our God, among the dead
betrayers of the Faith. There is nothing more futile than the glorification of something that
is truly dead. Whatever is dead will continue to decompose.
The Holy Resurrection is our only consolation in these difficult days. Job cries out, “For I
know that my redeemer lives, and that he shall stand at the la\er day on the earth. And
though a`er my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God. Whom I
shall see for myself, and my eyes shall behold, and not another; though my reins be
consumed within me.” (Job 19:25). Whatever sadness is caused by our times of apostasy, it
is not true sadness because Christ is risen. For as Isaiah proclaims, “He will swallow up
death in victory; and the Lord God will wipe away tears from off all faces” (Isaiah 25:8).
Brethren, let us rejoice in this victory which has swallowed up death! Let us turn our gaze
away from searching the living among the dead. We know that our Redeemer lives and to
Him be the glory forever and in Him is our hope forever!
Christ is risen!
Praying for you before the Risen Christ,
Philaretos
Bishop of Pallini and Western Europe
