The Holy Hieromartyr Paphnutius
All that is known concerning this Saint is that he was a bishop and that he suffered many torments by fire, the sword, and wild beasts.
Orthros begins at 9:00am; Divine Liturgy and Sunday School, 10:00am
Prot. No. 53/2020
Holy Pascha 2020
To the Most Reverend Hierarchs, the Reverend Priests and Deacons, the Monks and Nuns, the Presidents and Members of the Parish Councils of the Greek Orthodox Communities, the Distinguished Archons of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, the Day, Afternoon, and Church Schools, the Philoptochos Sisterhoods, the Youth, the Hellenic Organizations, and the entire Greek Orthodox Family in America
My Beloved Christians,
Νῦν πάντα πεπλήρωται φωτός… Now all things are filled with light… (Paschal Canon, Ode 2)
In this time of darkness: through the most difficult Lent in memory, through a radical reduction of our lives and livelihood, through the threat of sickness on an unprecedented scale, and thenthrough the grievous loss of family, friends, and neighbors taken from us too soon, we have finally arrived at the dawn.
Like the Myrrh-Bearing Women, going to the Tomb λίαν πρωὶ, ὂρθρου βαθέος – “very early in the morning, in the deep of the dawn” – we are yet in the depths of a darkness from which we pray to be delivered. But we hold fast to the promise of this night:
Καὶ τὸ φῶς ἐν τῇ σκοτίᾳ φαίνει, καὶ ἡ σκοτία αὐτὸ οὐ κατέλαβεν.
And the light shines on in the darkness, never overcome by the darkness. (John 1:5)
Indeed, and in very truth, “Now all things are filled with light!” The Light of Christ, Who is Himself the Light of the world, can never be extinguished. It chases away the shadow of even the darkest soul, and it burns most brightly in the human heart, which with every beat sings praises to the Lord of Glory.
He fills the world with His Light, enlightening our souls through love, forgiveness, compassion and mercy. And if this year we cannot pass that light from candle to candle, we can still pass that same light from heart to heart. The holiest fire that burns without destroying is love, for our God is a consuming fire (Hebrews 12:29). Indeed, God loved the world so intensely that there was no suffering that He would not embrace in order to enfold us in His love. On His Precious and Life- Giving Cross, He showed us with one word that His Passover, His Pascha from death to life, would be the fulfillment for us all: Τετέλεσται! “It is accomplished!”
But now Christ is risen from the dead! Νυνὶ δὲ Χριστὸς ἐγήγερται ἐκ νεκρῶν! (I Cor. 15:20) He is the firstfruits of them that slept in death, and as Lord of both the living and the dead, He is the promise, the “Amen,” of our future life in eternity.
Therefore, my beloved brothers and sisters, let us rejoice in the light of the Resurrection that shines across the Heavens, around the globe, and in our hearts. This dawn knows no horizon line; it shines even in the depths of hades.
Embrace the light with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength. Share it with everyone in gratitude and gentleness. Recognize its power to transform you and transfigure the world. And know, by faith, that the shadows we experience today are fleeting, cast by the Light Who is come upon us to dispel every darkness, and to raise us up with Him to everlasting light and life!
Χριστὸς Ἀνέστη! Ἀληθῶς Ἀνέστη! Christ is Risen! Truly He is Risen!
†ELPIDOPHOROS
Archbishop of America
Ἀριθ. Πρωτ.: 53/2020 Ἅγιον Πάσχα 2020
Πρὸς τοὺς Σεβασμιωτάτους καὶ Θεοφιλεστάτους Ἀρχιερεῖς, τοὺς Εὐλαβεστάτους Ἱερεῖς καὶ Διακόνους, τοὺς Μοναχοὺς καὶ τὶς Μοναχές, τοὺς Προέδρους καὶ τὰ Μέλη τῶν Κοινοτικῶν Συμβουλίων, τοὺς Διακεκριμένους Ἄρχοντες τοῦ Οἰκουμενικοῦ Πατριαρχείου, τὰ Ἡμερήσια καὶ Ἀπογευματινὰ Σχολεῖα, τὶς Φιλοπτώχους Ἀδελφότητες, τὴν Νεολαία, τὶς Ἑλληνορθόδοξες Ὀργανώσεις καὶ ὁλόκληρο τὸ Χριστεπώνυμο πλήρωμα τῆς Ἱερᾶς Ἀρχιεπισκοπῆς Ἀμερικῆς.
Προσφιλεῖς Ἀδελφοί καί Ἀδελφές ἐν Χριστῷ,
Ἀγαπητοί μου Χριστιανοί,
Νῦν πάντα πεπλήρωται φωτός! (Πασχάλιος Κανών, Ὠδή β')
Ἂν καὶ βρισκόμαστε ἐν τῷ μέσῳ τῆς νυκτός, μέσα στὸ σκοτάδι τῆς δυσκολότερης Μεγάλης Τεσσαρακοστῆς στὴν ἱστορία, μὲ τὸ ραγδαίο περιορισμὸ τῆς ζωῆς μας, μὲ τὸν κίνδυνο νὰ ασθενήσουν τόσοι ἄνθρωποι ὅσοι ποτὲ ἄλλοτε, μὲ τὴ θλιβερὴ πρόωρη απώλεια μελῶν τῆς οἰκογενείας μας, φίλων καὶ γειτόνων μας, θαρσεῖτε διότι ἐπιτέλους φτάσαμε στὴν ανατολή.
Ὅπως οἱ Μυροφόρες ἐκείνη τὴ σκοτεινὴ ἡμέρα τοῦ Σαββάτου ξεκίνησαν γιὰ τὸν τάφο τοῦ Κυρίου, «λίαν πρωΐ, ὄρθρου βαθέος», ἔτσι καὶ ἐμεῖς, βρισκόμαστε ακόμα στὸ βαθὺ σκοτάδι, απὸ τὸ ὁποῖο προσευχόμαστε νὰ λυτρωθοῦμε. Ἂς θυμηθοῦμε ὅμως τὴν ὑπόσχεση ἐκείνης τῆς νύχτας:
Καὶ τὸ φῶς ἐν τῇ σκοτίᾳ φαίνει, καὶ ἡ σκοτία αὐτὸ οὐ κατέλαβεν.
Πράγματι, σήμερα ὅλα φωτίζονται λαμπρά, τὰ «πάντα πεπλήρωται φωτός». Τὸ φῶς τοῦ Χριστοῦ, ὁ ὁποῖος εἶναι ὁ ἴδιος τὸ φῶς τοῦ κόσμου, τὸ φῶς ποὺ ποτὲ δὲν σβήνει. Αὐτὸ τὸ αναστάσιμο φῶς διώχνει μακριὰ απὸ τὶς ψυχές μας τὶς σκιὲς καὶ τὸ φόβο, φωτίζει καὶ καίει τὶς καρδιὲς τῶν ανθρώπων, ἔτσι ὥστε ὁ κάθε καρδιακὸς χτῦπος νὰ εἶναι χτῦπος δοξολογίας καὶ ανεκλαλήτου χαρᾶς.
Ὁ αναστημένος Χριστὸς πλημμυρίζει τὸν κόσμο μὲ τὸ φῶς του, φωτίζοντας τὶς χειμαζόμενες ψυχές μὲ χαρά, αγάπη, συγχωρητικότητα, ἐλεημοσύνη καὶ ὑπομονή. Καὶ ἂν αὐτὴ τὴ χρονιὰ δὲ μποροῦμε νὰ μεταδώσουμε αὐτὸ τὸ αναστάσιμο φῶς απὸ λαμπάδα σὲ λαμπάδα, μποροῦμε ὅμως νὰ τὸ μεταδώσουμε απὸ καρδιὰ σὲ καρδιά. Διότι, αδελφοί, ἡ ἁγιότερη φλόγα ποὺ καίει χωρὶς νὰ καταστρέφει εἶναι ἡ αγάπη, αφοῦ ὁ Θεός μας εἶναι «πῦρ καταναλίσκον» (Ἑβρ. 12:29). Πράγματι, ὁ Θεὸς αγάπησε τὸν κόσμο τόσο πολύ, ὥστε δὲν ὑπῆρχε πάθημα ποὺ δὲν θὰ μποροῦσε νὰ ὑποστεῖ, προκειμένου νὰ δείξει τὴν αγάπη του γιὰ μᾶς. Στὸν τίμιο καὶ ζωοποιὸ σταυρό του, τὸ δικό του πέρασμα απὸ τὸ θάνατο στὴ ζωή, γιὰ μᾶς εἶναι ἡ τελείωση: «τετέλεσται».
Γιατὶ τώρα πλέον ὁ Χριστὸς ανέστη ἐκ τῶν νεκρῶν! «Νυνὶ δὲ Χριστὸς ἐγήγερται ἐκ νεκρῶν» (Κορ. Α, 15:20). Εἶναι ὁ πρωτότοκος ἐκ τῶν νεκρῶν, καὶ ὡς ὁ Κύριος ζώντων καὶ νεκρῶν, εἶναι ὁ ἴδιος ἡ ὑπόσχεση, τὸ « μὴν» τῆς μελλούσης αἰωνίου ζωῆς μας.
Γι᾽ αὐτό, αγαπητοί μου αδελφοί, ἂς χαροῦμε σήμερα αὐτὸ τὸ ὑπέρλαμπρο φῶς τῆς αναστάσεως, τὸ ὁποῖο ακτινοβολεῖ απὸ τοὺς οὐρανοὺς σὲ ὅλο τὸν κόσμο καὶ φωτίζει τὶς καρδιές μας. Ἡ αὐγὴ αὐτὴ δὲν ὁριοθετεῖται απὸ τὴ γραμμὴ τοῦ ὁρίζοντα, αλλὰ φωτίζει ακόμα καὶ στὰ βάθη τοῦ Ἅδη.
Δεχθεῖτε αὐτὸ τὸ φῶς μὲ ὅλη τὴ δύναμη τῆς ψυχῆς σας. Ἀφῆστε το νὰ φωτίσει τὴν καρδιά σας, τὸ μυαλό σας, ὅλο σας τὸ εἶναι. Διαδῶστε το σὲ ὅλους μὲ εὐγνωμοσύνη καὶ εὐγένεια. Δεχθεῖτε τὴ δύναμη ποὺ ἔχει νὰ αλλάξει ἐσᾶς καὶ ὁλόκληρο τὸν κόσμο. Καὶ νὰ εἴμαστε βέβαιοι ὅτι τὰ σκοτάδια ποὺ ζοῦμε σήμερα εἶναι προσωρινά. Ὁ Χριστὸς εἶναι τὸ φῶς μας, αὐτὸς ποὺ διαλύει κάθε ἴχνος σκότους καὶ μᾶς ανασταίνει μαζί του στὸ ανέσπερο φῶς καὶ στὴν αἰώνια ζωή.
Χριστὸς Ἀνέστη! Ἀληθῶς ανέστη!
Μὲ πατρικὴ ἐν Χριστῷ αγάπη.
† Ὁ Ἀμερικῆς Ἐλπιδοφόρος
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Greek
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Prokeimenon. Plagal Fourth Mode. Psalm 117.24,29.
This is the day which the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.
Verse: Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; for his mercy endures for ever.
The reading is from Acts of the Apostles 1:1-8.
In the first book, O Theophilos, I have dealt with all that Jesus began to do and teach, until the day when he was taken up, after he had given commandment through the Holy Spirit to the apostles whom he had chosen. To them he presented himself alive after his passion by many proofs, appearing to them during forty days, and speaking of the kingdom of God. And while staying with them he charged them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father, which, he said, "you heard from me, for John baptized with water, but before many days you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit."
So when they had come together, they asked him, "Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom of lsrael?" He said to them, "it is not for you to know times or seasons which the Father has fixed by his own authority. But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria and to the end of the earth."
Great and Holy Pascha
The Reading is from John 1:1-17
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God; all things were made through him, and without him was not anything made that was made. In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.
There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. He came for testimony, to bear witness to the light, that all might believe through him. He was not the light, but came to bear witness to the light.
The true light that enlightens every man was coming into the world. He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world knew him not. He came to his own home, and his own people received him not. But to all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God; who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.
And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, full of grace and truth; we have beheld his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father. (John bore witness to him, and cried, "This was he of whom I said, 'He who comes after me ranks before me, for he was before me.'") And from his fullness have we all received, grace upon grace. For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.
All that is known concerning this Saint is that he was a bishop and that he suffered many torments by fire, the sword, and wild beasts.