Homily for the Resurrection of the Lord (St. Cleopa of Sihastria)

Homily for the Resurrection of the Lord 

By St. Cleopa of Sihastria

"Christ has risen from the dead, being the firstfruits (of the resurrection) of those who have fallen asleep" (1 Cor. 15:20)

"Christ is risen!"

Beloved faithful,

Today we celebrate the feast of feasts and the festival of festivals. Today there is spiritual joy everywhere in the Christian world. Today our Lord and God and Savior Jesus Christ has illumined all things by His Resurrection. Heaven and earth rightly rejoice, for the light of the Lord’s Resurrection has filled heaven and earth and Hades with light, and those who were held in the bonds of death He has brought, through the descent of the Savior into Hades, to eternal joy with the hope of the resurrection. Today Christ, our life, has laid a new foundation for the human race by His Resurrection and has crowned all the glorious miracles He performed on earth.

Today is the day of the Resurrection of the Lord, the victory of reconciliation, the overthrow of war, the destruction of death, and the defeat of the devil. Today it is fitting for us to repeat the words of the Orophet Isaiah: "O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?" (Hosea 13:14; 1 Cor. 15:55). Today the Lord Jesus Christ has shattered the bronze gates and has even changed the very name of death, for it is no longer called death, but "sleep." Before the coming of Christ and the dispensation of the Cross, even the very name of death was greatly feared. For the first man, after he was created by God, was threatened with death: "From the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat; for in the day you eat of it, you shall surely die" (Genesis 2:17).

And the Prophet David says by the Holy Spirit: "The death of sinners is grievous" (Psalm 33:20). But not only was the separation of soul from body called death, but also Hades. Listen also to the Patriarch Jacob, saying: "You will bring my gray hairs down to Hades" (Genesis 42:38). And the Prophet David says: "God will redeem my soul from the hand of Hades" (Psalm 48:16).

But after Christ our God offered Himself as a sacrifice on the Cross for us and rose from the dead, He transformed death into "sleep," as a lover of mankind. For instead of death, it is called "falling asleep" and "rest" — our departure from here. Listen to the Savior Himself saying: "Lazarus, our friend, has fallen asleep, and I go to awaken him" (John 11:11). For just as it is easy for us to awaken someone who sleeps, so also our common Lord can raise the dead. But since the word spoken by the Lord was new and unfamiliar and the disciples did not understand it, He spoke to them more plainly: "Lazarus is dead!" (John 11:14).

Likewise the great Apostle Paul, the teacher of the world, writing to the Thessalonians, says: "Concerning those who have fallen asleep, we do not want you to be ignorant, so that you may not grieve as others who have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, so also we believe that God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep in Jesus. We who are alive, who remain until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep" (1 Thess. 4:13–15).

Do you see, brethren, that everywhere death is called "sleep" and "rest"? Do you see how radiant is the victory of Christ’s Resurrection? Through the Resurrection of the Lord countless blessings have been given to us. Through the Resurrection the deception of the demons has been destroyed. Through the Resurrection we conquer death. Through the Resurrection we disregard this present life. Through the Resurrection we hasten toward the eternal reward. Through the Resurrection, though clothed in the body, we draw near to the bodiless, if we so desire.

Today our victories have been made manifest. Today Christ the Lord has conquered death and overthrown the tyrant devil, and has granted us, through His Resurrection, the way to salvation. Therefore let us all rejoice, exult, and be glad, for the Savior has conquered death and Hades and has accomplished all things for our salvation.

Beloved faithful,

In what follows we wish to show briefly with what kind of body the saints and righteous of God, as well as sinners, will rise on the day of the general resurrection at the end of the world. Speaking about this, we bring forward the word of Holy Scripture, which shows that there will be four qualities and gifts of the saints and the righteous at the resurrection to come. This truth is shown most clearly by the great Apostle Paul, who says: "The body is sown in corruption, it is raised in incorruption." Behold the gift of incorruption! "It is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory." Behold the gift of radiance! Concerning this gift of radiance, the Lord also said: "Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father" (Matthew 13:43). "It is sown in weakness, it is raised in power." Behold the gift of power! "It is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body." Behold the gift of subtlety! Those who are raised will have light, spiritual, incorruptible bodies, that is, immortal, like the angels (1 Corinthians 15:42–44).

But since we have also mentioned the bodies of sinners at the time of the resurrection, know that there will be a great difference between the bodies of the wicked and those of the saints and the righteous on the day of the Last Judgment. The bodies of sinners will show the terrible state in which they lived on earth and the fearful punishments that await them, when the Lord will say to them: "Depart from Me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels" (Matthew 25:41).

And their bodies will be dreadful to behold and full of terror. Instead of radiance, they will be clothed in deep darkness, resembling the outer darkness of Hades. And just as the radiance of the blessed is accompanied by wondrous beauty, so the bodies of sinners will have great horror and ugliness. And although they will also have incorruption like the righteous, they will have this incorruption in order to suffer eternally in Hades and never be consumed.

But if we desire to have eternal blessedness at the resurrection to come, let us not be careless, but with fear and trembling let us serve our most good God until our last breath. Even if someone were adorned with all good deeds, he cannot be without care in this present age. The Savior tells us: "He who endures to the end will be saved" (Matthew 10:22). Let us take an example from sailors who come with ships full of many riches and goods. They keep watch continually, and even when they reach the harbor they are very careful lest they strike the ship against some rock and suffer danger and great loss.

Hear what the divine father John Chrysostom says about this: "Let us not be careless and ungrateful for the benefits we have received through the Resurrection of the Lord. Nor let us say: behold, Great Lent has passed, now we may be without care. For now, more than before, we must take great care for the soul, lest the body, becoming strengthened, make the soul weaker. Lest, caring for the servant, we neglect the master. For our spiritual struggle is for our whole life."

Beloved faithful,

The Holy Apostle Paul says: "Everyone who competes exercises self-control in all things" (1 Corinthians 9:25). And Saint John Chrysostom says: "We have laid aside the burden of fasting, but we have not laid aside the fruit of fasting. For it is impossible to lay aside the labor of fasting and still reap its fruit. The labor of ascetic struggle has passed, but let not the zeal for good works pass. The fast has gone, but let piety remain. The bodily fast has passed, but the spiritual fast has not passed, which is better than that, and that one was done for the sake of this one."

By the spiritual fast we understand the practice of good works, which we all who are baptized in the name of the Most Holy Trinity and believe in Christ risen from the dead are bound to do. At the head of the good works that help us most toward the salvation of the soul is Christian love. Without love, without forgiveness and mercy, there is no salvation, there is no Pascha, no joy in the soul, no resurrection from the death of sins, no peace in our hearts.

Here is a true story about two Christians who were at odds with one another and were reconciled on the night of the Resurrection.

Two men, good Christian friends, fell into a quarrel through the work of the devil over trivial matters. One of them, by nature more quick-tempered, cursed and gravely insulted the other during a family gathering. Thus a great enmity arose between them. Although the one who had been insulted and mocked wished to bring the other to court, especially since many urged him to do so, he nevertheless did not do this and desired with all his heart to restore peace and their former friendship. But the other would in no way agree, and through his behavior and words stirred up even greater hostility.

Great Lent began, Holy Pascha drew near, and there was still no change between them, even though both went every Sunday to the holy church. On Holy Saturday they both confessed, intending to receive Holy Communion at the Divine Liturgy on the night of the Resurrection. The priest, who knew well what was happening between them, often counseled the one who maintained the enmity to reconsider his thoughts and words and to ask forgiveness. He gave him the same instruction and a serious rule of repentance at confession. But although he promised, he did not do it. Toward midnight, the bells with their gentle sound called the people to the Holy Resurrection. One stepped over the threshold of the church with deep sorrow in his heart, because he had not been forgiven by his neighbor. The other entered the church with fear, because he had not fulfilled his rule but still had malice and hostility, to which the cursed devil continually urged him.

The Service of the Resurrection unfolded in an uplifting way in the divine fragrance that filled the holy church. Gently and persuasively the singing began in the choir: "It is the day of the Resurrection, let us be illumined by the feast, and let us embrace one another. And let us say, brethren, even to those who hate us: let us forgive all things for the Resurrection, and so let us cry: Christ is risen from the dead, trampling down death by death, and to those in the tombs bestowing life." Powerful tremors shook his soul and body, hot tears flowed down his face, and he looked in all directions to find his neighbor. It was not difficult to spot him.

At that very moment the other was making his way through the crowd toward him, came before him, and they embraced, saying softly: "Christ is risen!" After the loving response of his neighbor, "Truly He is risen!", he added with even more tears in his eyes: "Forgive me, my dear, forgive me! It will never happen again, the way I behaved toward you. The Holy Resurrection has worked powerfully upon me and has taught me that what I did to you is not good, not evangelical, not Christian, not even human, while you endured and waited with trust for this hour of reconciliation." Thus Satan was cast down, Christ the Lord was glorified through the power of His Resurrection, the enmity was scattered, peace and love were restored between them at the proper time, and with fear of God, with faith and with love they received Holy Communion. The Lord, ever living and present in the Mystery of the Holy Eucharist, blessed them and strengthened their reconciliation, which was never again disturbed during their lifetime, although the malicious devil sought to trouble them again.

How much each of us has to learn from this striking example of sincere return to Christ by these two souls, and of truly living again in Him through the powerful victory of the Holy Resurrection! How much we ought to examine our thoughts, feelings, and actions and draw near with a contrite and humble heart, with a heart full of faith and love, to the Chalice of Holy Communion, so that we may receive Christ our Lord, ever living and ready at any moment to dwell among us, as He Himself clearly says in His Holy Gospel: "He who eats My Body and drinks My Blood abides in Me, and I in him" (John 6:56).

Do we want to resolve to do this? It is for our benefit, for the benefit of both earthly and heavenly life. For only united with our Lord Jesus Christ will we be able to understand more deeply the true purpose of our earthly life. We will walk surely and victoriously on the path of holy moral perfection and toward the glory of endless life in heaven.

Beloved faithful,

Today is the Pascha of the Lord. Today Christ, our Life, has conquered death, Hades, and the devil. Today the gates of Paradise and of the Kingdom of Heaven have been opened to us. Today the angels rejoice together and glorify God.

Therefore let us cast out from our homes and from our hearts all malice, all sorrow, and all sin, and let us receive with joy Christ who is risen. Let us venerate the Cross on which Christ was crucified. Let us kiss the tomb from which the Lord rose. Let us follow with faith and hope our Savior, together with the Mother of God, with the Apostles, with all the saints, with our fathers and forefathers. Let us greet one another spiritually, brother with brother, let us be reconciled, let us love one another, for today we have received forgiveness and salvation through the Resurrection. Let no one be sad, let no one lose faith and hope in the troubles of life, for Christ who is risen is with us. We bear Him within us, and He remains with us forever, if we remain in His love and keep His commandments.

With this life-giving faith, which gives us strength and victory, let us sing together the hymn of the Resurrection: "Christ is risen from the dead, trampling down death by death, and to those in the tombs bestowing life." Amen.

Christ is risen!

Source: Translated by John Sanidopoulos.