O Divine, O dear, O sweetest Voice!
For Thou, O Christ, hast faithfully promised
to be with us to the end of the world
(Paschal Canon, Ode 9)
Photo: diveevo-palomnik.ru The Bright Week of Pascha is drawing to a close. True, joyful Paschal hymns will continue to be heard in our holy churches until the feast of our Savior’s Ascension into Heaven, but there won’t be that bright, joyful spirit that Pascha week gives us. The Royal Doors will be closed, the canon won’t be sung in its entirety… Thus does joy pass.
And not long ago we commemorated the days of our Lord’s suffering—Holy Week also passed quickly. So sorrow also passes. Even an ancient philosopher said: “Everything flows, everything changes.” Indeed, beloved, everything changes in this life: Sorrow gives way to joy, and joy is followed by sorrow…
But the time will come, beloved, when joy will be constant, when Pascha week will last forever—in the future life. There will be eternal Pascha, with no leavetaking. There will be eternal joy, according to the prophetic word: And the ransomed of the LORD shall return, and come to Zion with songs and everlasting joy upon their heads: they shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away (Is. 35:10).
But this won’t be for everyone—only for the faithful and virtuous. Those who don’t believe in God, who don’t observe the commandments of Christ can expect eternal anguish and despondency in the future life.
Photo: diveevo-palomnik.ru
How do we know this? From their disposition during this Paschal week. While believers experience joy and peace and a special spiritual sweetness after holy Pascha, unbelievers experience it as just an ordinary week, like any other. They’re gloomy and spiritually empty, while believers are filled with spiritual joy.
Yes, the present earthly life is a foretaste of eternal life. Here begins and develops that disposition with which we’ll live eternally. And the pledge of eternal joy is that disposition we have in Bright Week… Only, here on earth we perceive everything dimly, vaguely, but then in full clarity.
Your future life depends on you, beloved. If you want an eternal joyful life with God, eternal Pascha, then believe in God and fulfill His holy commandments, as the Orthodox Church teaches you. If you don’t believe in God, if you live like a pagan, you’ll have eternal sorrow and darkness.
May the Lord grant all of us the eternal, unceasing joy of communion with Him in the life to come.
“O great and most sacred Pascha, O Christ! O Wisdom, Word, and Power of God! Grant that we may more perfectly partake of Thee in the never-ending day of Thy Kingdom” (Paschal Canon, Ode 9).
Amen.
