Are You Willing to Be Changed?

Today in many dioceses, we celebrate the Ascension of the Lord. As we enter into this last week of the Easter season, I reflect on the beauty of Easter and how it has changed my life.

I first think of how we Eastern Catholics (and the Orthodox) greet one another throughout the Easter season.

"Christ is Risen! Indeed He is Risen!"

Though one doesn’t hear it much here in the United States, in some countries it’s ubiquitous—in Ukraine, for example. I was traveling from Ukraine to Austria (where I was living at the time) by van. When we stopped at the border, the priest who was driving greeted the border guard with “Christ is Risen!” in Ukrainian. Without skipping a beat, the border guard replied, “Indeed He is Risen!” And I contemplated how wonderful it would be if that greeting were commonplace here at home in the Unites States…

I had the privilege of being in Lviv for the Ukrainian Easter in 2013. On Holy Saturday, people dressed in their Easter best could be seen walking about the streets of Lviv with their baskets, full of Easter food. In the Byzantine tradition we bring baskets full of meats, cheeses, butter, eggs and other dairy products (all items traditionally not eaten during Lent), along with Easter breads and rolls, to be blessed after the Paschal Matins and Divine Liturgy on Easter.

In Lviv there are so many people who want their baskets blessed that they start blessing them on Holy Saturday! Throughout the city centre, I saw groups of people gathered outside churches, the Latin Catholics, the Greek Catholics, and the Orthodox. Every so often, when a large enough group had gathered with their baskets, the priest would come out and bless them all.

But in the midst of Easter joy, the faithful didn’t forget about the sorrow and solemnity of Good Friday. Inside the churches I found the people venerating the shroud. As is the custom in the Byzantine tradition, a large rectangular piece of cloth, with an icon of Christ, is displayed for veneration. On Good Friday, and until Easter morning, people come up to kiss the wounds of Christ, sometimes on their knees. So the faithful were not only bringing their baskets, they were taking time to remember the sacrifice that Jesus made for each of us.

Fast forward to 2015. This year, we had our midnight Matins procession and Liturgy in a much more humble location. But that did not take away from the joy and anticipation of celebrating Our Lord’s Resurrection—His “trampling down death by Death”!

But later that day, as my family and I scurried to prepare for our Paschal potluck, I was, admittedly, more stressed (and more  cranky) than I wanted to be.

Upon reflection, I realized that Christ died and rose precisely because of my imperfection and weakness. He came and conquered death because life is messy—and because I sin. And, though I wanted my Easter Day to be “perfect,” I realized that the joy of the Resurrection really comes when we realize that we’re not perfect—and that is why the Lover of Mankind came and gave Himself for us!

The Paschal Homily of St. John Chrysostom, read every year on Easter (see below), exhorts us to rejoice regardless of where we are at in our lives—whether we kept a good Lent or not. In fact, perhaps we should rejoice all the more, the more we failed in our attempts.

The Byzantine hymns describe Christ as the Bridegroom “coming forth from the tomb as from a bridal chamber.” Our Bridegroom loves us in our littleness, and it is only through His power that we can do anything! What could be more beautiful than that?

Pope Benedict challenges us in Spe Salvi to take the Resurrection seriously. “So now we must ask explicitly: is the Christian faith also for us today a life-changing and life-sustaining hope?” (Spe Salvi 10).

In this last week before ordinary time begins, ask yourself, has the joy and peace of our Risen Lord filled my heart and changed my life? May we radiate to all those we encounter today and beyond this Easter season.

Paschal Homily of St. John Chrysostom (circa 400 AD)

If anyone is devout and a lover of God, let them enjoy this beautiful and radiant festival.

If anyone is a grateful servant, let them, rejoicing, enter into the joy of his Lord.

If anyone has wearied themselves in fasting, let them now receive recompense.

If anyone has labored from the first hour, let them today receive the just reward.

If anyone has come at the third hour, with thanksgiving let them feast.

If anyone has arrived at the sixth hour, let them have no misgivings; for they shall suffer no loss.

If anyone has delayed until the ninth hour, let them draw near without hesitation.

If anyone has arrived even at the eleventh hour, let them not fear on account of tardiness.

For the Master is gracious and receives the last even as the first; He gives rest to him that comes at the eleventh hour, just as to him who has labored from the first.

He has mercy upon the last and cares for the first; to the one He gives, and to the other He is gracious. He both honors the work and praises the intention.

Enter all of you, therefore, into the joy of our Lord, and, whether first or last, receive your reward.

O rich and poor, one with another, dance for joy!

O you ascetics and you negligent, celebrate the day!

You that have fasted and you that have disregarded the fast, rejoice today!

The table is rich-laden: feast royally, all of you!

The calf is fatted: let no one go forth hungry!

Let all partake of the feast of faith. Let all receive the riches of goodness.

Let no one lament their poverty, for the universal kingdom has been revealed.

Let no one mourn their transgressions, for pardon has dawned from the grave.

Let no one fear death, for the Saviour's death has set us free.

He that was taken by death has annihilated it!

He descended into Hades and took Hades captive!

He embittered it when it tasted His flesh!

And anticipating this, Isaiah exclaimed:

"Hades was embittered when it encountered Thee in the lower regions".

It was embittered, for it was abolished!

It was embittered, for it was mocked!

It was embittered, for it was purged!

It was embittered, for it was despoiled!

It was embittered, for it was bound in chains!

It took a body and came upon God!

It took earth and encountered Ηeaven!

It took what it saw, but crumbled before what it had not seen!

O Death, where is thy sting?

O Hades, where is thy victory?

Christ is risen, and you are overthrown!

Christ is risen, and the demons are fallen!

Christ is risen, and the angels rejoice!

Christ is risen, and life reigns!

Christ is risen, and not one dead remains in a tomb!

For Christ, being raised from the dead, has become the first-fruits of them that have slept.

To Him be glory and might unto the ages of ages.

Amen.