Easter Message 2021 from His Eminence Metropolitan JOHN of Dubna

To the Excellencies, the clergy, the monks, the nuns and the faithful of the Archdiocese of the Traditional Russian Orthodox Churches in Western Europe.

Dear Monsignors, Fathers, Brothers and Sisters beloved in Christ,

Today, it is from the abundance of the heart that the mouth speaks “This is the day that the Lord made, that it be for us a day of feast and of joy ! (Ps. 117, 24 )”. Now the visible and invisible world is celebrating the Greatest Day, the Lord’s Day – the Resurrection of our Savior and Lord Jesus Christ ! It is the day of Hope for all, the day of Life and Joy. It was today’s event that changed the course of human history ! For it is from this Day that the Preaching of the Apostles on the New Life in Resurrection began at the threshold of the empty tomb of the Risen Christ (Mk 16), a preaching that the world thirsted for both in their time and in to our today ( Acts 17 : 16-34 ).

This day is a blessed day. Because Man, in a new way, has found his primordial freedom that he had in Paradise. His original image is again restored and we all sing “Blessed be God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ : in his great mercy he has made us reborn to living hope thanks to the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. … ”, ( 1 Peter 1, 3 ).

From that bright day, man began to find his being in a different way, to study his spiritual nature, which was slowly dying after the Fall of in the garden of Eden. Now this new nature begins to live again fully, for it was given by the Resurrection, new life. Death has ceased to reign and to be eternal, it is Life which has become eternal.

God loves man so much that he sends his Son to save him and by his cross and his Resurrection dissolves original sin.

How can man thank his Creator for this event ? Very simply : by his reciprocal love towards God and in particular towards his neighbor, face of God. To love one’s neighbor is to give thanks to God. This event invites us to recognition and thanksgiving to God the Creator of all things. To love one’s neighbor means above all, to respect him, to accept him as he is, without seeking to possess him. Do not go beyond the limits in relationships : whether in a family, friendly or professional setting. To love your neighbor is to protect the freedom of your neighbor. It means to love God in him ( 1 John 4:20 ), It means to live “… after the example of the holy God who called you, become holy, you too, in all your conduct, …”, (1 Peter 1:15 ).

Dear brothers and sisters, in these bright days of paschal joy, I wish you to be honored with the divine visit of the Risen Christ, to feel His love, His presence, to feel that He is always near. I invite you to welcome the freedom we have acquired thanks to the Risen Christ. Let us accept His invitation to enter into the joy of communion with God, the source of salvation. May the hearts of each and every one always be filled with divine love, living faith, peace and hope.

Christ is risen ! And I wish you all and myself the same.