Christ is Risen!
Dear friends, Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
There is an unfortunate tendency for some Orthodox Christians to think and speak as if Pascha (Easter) is now "over." I have heard several comments along this line even at the Sunday celebration itself. Such an attitude reveals a spiritual carelessness at best. The Paschal Season and celebration are only just beginning!
The time between our Lord's Resurrection and His Ascension (40 days) is HUGE for serious, practicing Christians. It is during this time that Jesus repeatedly appears to His Followers in His Resurrected Body. Today's Gospel for example. tells of His appearance to Cleopas and his companions on the road to Emmaus.
Life in Christ, for Orthodox Christians, is a life that is lived in a kind of "harmonic" God-consciousness that is daily nourished and sustained by our participation in the Liturgical life of the Church. This time when our Lord is teaching His disciples is important for us. We too need His instruction to help prepare us for Apostolic work - Life in Christ.
It's not over. A new cycle of our Life in Christ is just beginning. Let us attend!
With love in the Risen Christ.
Fr. Philip