Sts Cyril and Methodius Orthodox Institute
17 Apr 25: Paschal Epistle of His Eminence George Archbishop of Sydney, Australia & New Zealand
Paschal Epistle
of His Eminence
George, Archbishop of Sydney,
Australia & New Zealand
Beloved in the Lord, Clergy and Faithful of the Australian and New Zealand Diocese!
Christ is Risen!
Let us purify our senses,
and we shall behold Christ,
radiant with the unapproachable light of the Resurrection,
and we shall clearly hear Him say, Rejoice!
as we sing the hymn of victory. (Paschal Canon, First Ode)
Here in the very beginning of the Paschal service we are reminded of how important the period of Great Lent is for all of us: the time of fasting, repentance, and purifying our senses, so that we may behold Christ, radiant with the light of the Resurrection. The Church, in Her wisdom, has established fasting periods throughout the year to prepare us for spiritual feasts, and now, before the Feast of Feasts, we are given extra time to cleanse our souls from the darkness of sin so that we may approach the unapproachable Light and truly rejoice with the whole world, visible and invisible.
Let us appreciate and sincerely give thanks unto God for His great loving-kindness and mercy shown towards fallen mankind by redeeming us from sin through His suffering on the cross and glorious Resurrection, making us heirs of His heavenly kingdom. Though many in the world reject this great gift, we must embrace it and always cherish it. Let us not be tempted by the so-called pleasures and riches of this temporal world, but let us always strive for spiritual riches which do not fade away. Our way of life now will have eternal consequences. Our Saviour Himself has told us: “Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, and shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation” (John 5: 28-29). May we all be worthy of the Resurrection of Life!
I sincerely greet all of you, the clergy, monastics, parishioners, and all worshippers in the churches of our diocese, with the grace-filled Feast of Christ’s Holy Resurrection!
Christ is Risen! Truly He is Risen!
With love in the Risen Christ,
+ George Archbishop
of Sydney, Australia & New Zealand
Pascha 2025