Agape Vespers 2012 - Fr. Michael Margitich

Friends, and even annual visitors, and as St.

John and his homily mentioned last night, even

at the 11th hour you are welcome. And I greet

you because this is a glorious, splendorous,

incredibly important feast day. referred to as

the Feast of Feasts, the resurrection of our

Lord Jesus Christ. Every commemoration of the

Church, every celebration, none, however, can

compare with the glory, the beauty, the meaning

and significance of this High Holy Day. In fact,

all church celebrations are based on this feast

day. The day we joyfully and triumphantly recognize

Christ, the Savior of our world. For us who believe

in Christ the Redeemer, the question raised by

the Old Testament, Prophet Job. If a man dies,

shall he live again? If a man dies, shall he

live again? And that answer has been given. Factually,

historically, and categorically. In the revelation

of Christ. Conquering death. It is the very center.

The very essence. The very core. The very epicenter

of our faith. Without the resurrection. The teaching

on the incarnation of God becomes a myth. Without

the resurrection, Christ's teaching's authority

is no more nor less than any religious teacher

who lived. Without Christ's resurrection, there

would have been no Christian church. There would

have been no Christian Bible. Without the resurrection,

Christ's death on the cross would be but another

tragedy in history. But the fact is, He conquered

death. And because of that, it gives meaning

to everything we do. Our worship services, our

dogma, our doctrine. Everything, everything.

It gives validity to what Christ said he is,

that I am the resurrection of life. And St. Paul,

in his... Writings in Corinthians mentions this.

If Christ is not risen, then our preaching is

empty. Notice, if Christ had not resurrected,

then our preaching would be futile. And our faith

would be empty. But then he goes on to say, they

who have fallen asleep in Christ, if he had not

risen, then death is the last word. You're gone.

Death is death. But Paul goes on to say, Our

faith is not empty. It's not meaningless. Let

me take you back to the first Pascha morning

when the mirror -bearing women went to anoint

the dead body of Christ. As they came near to

the tomb, They saw that the boulder blocking

the entrance was gone. And then when they went

in, they did not see his body. And suddenly there

appeared two radiant angels saying, why do you

seek the dead? Why do you seek the living among

the dead? He is not here. He is risen. Go. Go

tell his disciples. Just as I am saying to you.

Go. Tell the world that Christ is risen. These

three words. Christ is risen. Has brought inexpressible

joy. To his disciples. These three words, he

is risen, are words of victory. Words which continue

to ring out in the corridors of time. Ring out

proclaiming Christ is risen. These three words.

gave hope, meaning, and salvation, and above

all, gave a transforming life to those who recognized

him as the Savior. Christ said, because I live.

you shall live too. As in Adam all die, said

the great evangelist Paul, so in Christ shall

we be made alive. Marvelous words. I am the resurrection

and the life, said Jesus. He who believes in

me Shall never die. True. Death. Is a biological

fact. We have to contend with. But my dear people.

It has lost its meaning. For we are destined

to be with Christ. And his resurrection. Has

in no way altered that fact. That death. It's

not the last word. Notice we still sing in the

present tense. Christ is risen. Not was, but

is risen. Trampling down death by death and upon

those in the tomb bestowing life. You know, one

of the more remarkable and to me one of the most

obvious encouraging and inspiring things. When

I read and continue to do so with those who were

marched into the Siberian tundra, exiled, or

those who were forced to live years after years

in the gulag, or those who were marched into

the gas chambers of Auschwitz. The remarkable

thing is that they had praise on their lips,

singing, Christ is risen. That's reality. It

gave them hope. It gave them courage to endure

mockery, to endure every form of persecution,

even martyrdom. And they endured these trials

according to the accounts. And I have heard,

going back in my first parish, I have heard,

The Russians who have. Spent time in Goliath.

Telling me. Even. Even at the worst moments.

Somehow. The word. Had gotten out. And there

was a priest. In one of the cells. And he started

to sing. Christ is risen. And suddenly. All of

the cells were. filled with this incredible joy,

singing Christos was Christ. After our Lord had

raised Lazarus from the tomb, he said to those

who witnessed this miracle, he said, unbind him,

loose him. And I say unto you, there are those

millions and millions who are still bound in

their insecurities and in their sins. They're

still wrapped and bound with doubt and despair

and fear. But if you listen carefully. The voice

from the risen Christ is still heard. Unbind

him. So therefore I say to you, away with gloom.

Away with uncertainty. Away with despair. Away

with fear. Because the victory of Christ is our

victory. His resurrection is our resurrection.

His resurrection is the assurance that life in

spite of all has meaning. And death is not the

last word. Because death does not lead to nothingness,

but rather to the vestibule of paradise. Pascha

is the historical declaration that Christ is

not a past memory, not a past figure of history,

but a living, reigning, present, life -giving

spirit. Can anyone deny the joy that was with

us last night? You saw complete darkness. And

then all of a sudden, Father Lawrence comes out

with a light. And then there's a sea of light.

The darkness could not overcome the light. And

that is true with Christ's resurrection over

death. You see, the resurrection explains who

we are. The resurrection tells us that we are

co -heirs with the risen Christ who had liberated

us from the eternal pangs of death and breathed

upon us the life of light and the life of eternal

life. of eternal beauty, with the angels escorting

us to the throne of mercy. And so, I say to you,

let us affirm this. Let us reaffirm what we believe

by all singing, Christ is risen from the dead.

Thank you.