"If God Heals Your Son, Will You Believe in God?" - A Miracle of Saint Matrona of Moscow

Zinaida Vladimirovna Zhdanova says that in 1946, a woman came to their apartment, where Matrona also lived back then. The woman was a high official. Her only son had gone insane, her husband had been killed at war, and she herself was an atheist of course. She had taken the sick son to Europe, but no famous psychiatrists could help him.

“I have come to you out of despair," she said to Matrona, "I have nowhere else to go to.”

Matrona asked, “If God heals your son, will you believe in God?”

The woman said, “I don’t know what it means to believe.”

Paschal Pastoral Encyclical 2004 (Metr. Hierotheos of Nafpaktos)

My beloved brethren,

The Resurrection of Christ, which we celebrate these days, is an event that marked great changes in history, first in people's lives and then in society and culture. In this theological climate of the Resurrection of Christ, as proclaimed by the Church, life was given meaning, death took on another meaning, relationships between people were redefined, all the considered details of our lives acquired a purpose, existence was filled with eternal life of those who were associated with the Risen Christ.

Communicating with you today, on the occasion of the feast of the Resurrection of Christ, I would like to identify an event that is of particular importance for our Church. And this is that the resurrected Christ appeared to His Disciples, who had communion with each other, mainly during a meal.

1966 Paschal Message of St. John Maximovitch

 Christ is Risen!

“Even though You descended into the grave, O Immortal One, You destroyed the power of Hades.”

“I will go down to hades mourning for my son” (Gen. 37:35), the forefather Jacob said when he heard about the imaginary death, as if Joseph had died, though in reality he was sold by his brothers. Although Jacob was righteous and received many favors from God, constantly feeling the Hand of the Lord guarding him, he did not expect anything else in the future except hades. Deep was the fall of the forefathers in paradise, and with them all their offspring. Although many tried to live pleasing to God, they only outwardly fulfilled the law of God - it did not penetrate into their hearts and souls - they remained far from God in their spirit. Therefore, at that time there was no paradise for the descendants of Adam, they could not feel the radiance of the glory of God on themselves, their souls could not stay with the angels. Out of communion with God were all the souls of the dead, remaining in darkness and vexation of the spirit.

Paschal Pastoral Encyclical 2003 (Metr. Hierotheos of Nafpaktos)

My beloved brethren,

And again we have been found worthy to celebrate the events of the Resurrection of Christ. It was preceded by the veneration of the Cross of Christ and today we enjoy His glorious Resurrection.

These are not conventional and repetitive events, offered for a physical rest, but events that give meaning to our lives. With the Resurrection of Christ our whole life, with its sorrows and joys, with its sufferings and pleasures, but also the whole creation and the future of the world take on another meaning and another perspective. Without the Resurrection of Christ everything is dark, trivial, meaningless, without meaning, purpose and life.

With His Cross and Resurrection Christ defeated the devil, sin and death, the three great evils that are the source of evil in the entire world. Thus the Resurrection of Christ became "the beginning of the reformed creation", according to Saint Cyril of Alexandria, since with His Resurrection, above all, Christ became Lord of the world. Saint Nicholas Cabasilas will say that "resurrection, by nature, is correction." In other words, the Resurrection of Christ made it possible for things to return to their previous position and to rise higher. This is the magnitude of the Resurrection of Christ.

1963 Paschal Message of St. John Maximovitch

 

Christ is Risen!

Christ is Risen! The resurrected Creator in heaven is praised by angels. With incessant songs they glorify the Conqueror of the devil and death. All the forces of nature rejoice, all the elements triumph and glorify the Risen One. Evil and corruption have been defeated, everything that is filthy, which entered nature during the fall of Adam, disappears. Now all nature will be renewed for incorruption, for the eternal Kingdom of God, in which there will be no filthiness!

The dead now rejoice. Forgotten by them are the illnesses and sorrows that they endured in earthly life. The light of the Trinity illuminates them, their joy is inexpressible in earthly words, life fills them.

The forefathers rejoice, remembering their departure from hades and glorify their Liberator.