Agape Vespers 2014 - Fr. Michael Margitich

in the tomb's bestowing light. Christ is risen.

Indeed he is risen. His cross was blessed. His

cross was blessed. His cross was blessed. His

cross was blessed. His cross was blessed. What

a joy. What a marvelous day. Let the heavens

be glad we sing. And let the earth rejoice. Let

the whole world, the visible and invisible, keep

the feast. For this is the day of resurrection.

The day that the Lord has made. From death to

life and from earth to heaven as Christ, our

God, led us as we sing the song of victory. My

dear people, by the mercy of God, we again have

been blessed to enjoy this radiant feast day,

this chosen and holy day. The feast of feasts,

which the gospel and the church continuously

proclaim and declare. Death is dispelled. Death

has been destroyed. The annihilation of Hades

has taken place. of everlasting life has come

on this stage to you and to me. The story of

the resurrection of our Lord begins with the

angel asking Mary Magdalene when they came to

the temple, to the tomb of the temple. Why do

you seek the living among the dead, he asked.

He is not here, referring to Jesus. He is risen.

Go, tell his disciples. And pasta is like a glorious

sunrise. It announces not only a new day, a renewal

of a new day. But it announces a new creation.

And this is why we as Orthodox, with unparalleled

joy, with inexplicable and irrepressible happiness,

proclaim Our joy. For you and me, my dear people,

death has been overcome. The death of Christ

is the very center, the very essence, the epicenter,

the fundamental basis of all that we do, not

only in church, But our whole Christian life,

our spiritual life, without the resurrection,

there would be no church. There would be no New

Testament. And probably, like those in San Francisco,

we would be going around Casey Bynes. The resurrection

of Jesus is an event which has and will continue

to have until Christ comes in all his glory.

It will have and does have an effect on each

one of us. Each person born into this world will

in some way either enjoy The festivities of pasta

for the consequences. No message is more important.

No message is more significant than Christ is

risen. I say to you, these are the most important

words you will ever hear. Christ is risen. He

is risen. Because he is risen, the gates of paradise

are open. And mankind now has direct access to

the throne of the almighty God. This is the turning

point in all history. A new reality has broken

into this world. The reality of the victorious

power of Christ's resurrection. In him is our

strength. In him is our victory. We, of course,

resurrect with Him. There is no darkness that

the risen Christ cannot dispel. There is no problem

that Christ cannot solve. There is no smothered

hope that He cannot revive. Because his words

echo and re -echo throughout more of his time.

He has said, I am the resurrection and the life.

He who believes in me will not die. He will live.

Our perishable life, yours and mine, will become

imperishable. And our mortality will take on

immortality. What's so wonderful? What's incredible?

Matchless, joyous, inspirational words. You see,

pasta will never lose its significance. True.

You and I, still are confronted with the reality

of death. But, if we hang on his honor, Lawrence

said, hang on to this faith. There should be

no fear, as John Christopher said in his marvelous

passage, There's no fear in death, for Christ

has conquered death. Yet, there are those who

say, how can we reflect the joy of pasta if our

loved ones are taken away from us? But do we

not stand by the grave? and sing this mighty

hymn, Christ is risen from the dead, trampling

down death by death, and upon those which whom

the soul loves. No one will remain. Death, death

is not the ultimate answer. O death, where is

thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? All

cry out. Thanks to God, which gives us the victory

through Jesus Christ. This message proclaims

our immortality, something we did not have until

the resurrection. Death is swallowed up in victory

as a people of God, as people of the resurrection.

We have nothing to fear. The experience called

dying is God's way upon us that is eternal home.

In the Father's house, he said, turn away my

sins. This day, he said, is not simply another

holiday among all the holidays of the church.

It is the holiday. It is the climax, as I said,

the foundation, the center through which everything

converges and everything radiates throughout

life. It was not simply a sentimental gesture

that our patron saint, Seraphim, said to everyone,

every day of the year, Christ is risen. He said

that because he grasped that essential element,

that joy, that radiated from him, as it radiates

throughout the universe. It was because he grasped

the meaning of the resurrection. Yes, Christ

has come to earth to bring us to heaven. He has

died to save us. Let every voice be raised to

proclaim. For this is the day which the Lord

hath made. Let us embrace one another, and in

honor of his resurrection, let us pardon and

forgive one another, and then let us sing. God

bless you. God bless you. For as much as he is

good, love is good, and Christ is risen. Christ

is risen from the dead, from the dead by death,

and upon those in the two -feet stone we lie.

Christ is risen from the dead, from the dead

by death, Christ is risen from the dead, traveling

down death by death, and upon those in the truth

bestowing life. And unto us he has given eternal

life. Let us worship his resurrection on the

third day. Thank you. Three, four.