CHRIST IS RISEN! TRULY, HE IS RISEN!

This icon is called "The Harrowing of Hell," and is for Holy Saturday. 

It is popularly used for The Great and Holy Pascha of Our Lord, God and Savior Jesus Christ.

What will happen?

"When I caught sight of Him,I fell down at His feet asthough dead" (Revelation 1:17).

It was St. John who fell as though dead when he saw the Lord Jesus in glory. St. John, the Beloved Disciple of Jesus, The Evangelist, The Chaste One, The one who loved the Lord, and a zealot for holiness - could not stand on his feet nor compose himself when he saw his Teacher in His heavenly glory and power! But, "fell, as though dead." 

How will they, therefore, endure the presence of the Lord and His eyes "a fiery flame," they who sin against Him, they who rise up against Him, they who ridicule His Name, they who despise His love and sacrifice, they who mock His cross, they who trample upon His commandments, they who persecute His Church, they who shame His priests, and they who kill His faithful? 

• What will happen to them before the face of the Lord when St. John fell as dead when he caught sight of Him? 
• What will happen to the literate who corrupt? 
• What will happen to teachers who destroy the Faith in young souls? 
• What will happen to skeptics who through their doubt poison the minds of men? 
• What will happen to thieves and robbers and what will happen to the immoral and what will happen to the child-killers? 
• What will happen to the enemies of Christ when the friend of Jesus falls, as though dead, before His indescribable, glistening glory? 

Such is the glory, power, authority, beauty, lordship, light and majesty of the Lord Jesus, resurrected and ascended, that His closest companions who for three years on earth gazed upon His face without fear, now fall as though dead when they see His face in the heavens following His passion, death and victory!

O Lord All-glorious and Almighty illuminate us and enliven us by Your power and glory.

From the Prologue.

Holy Mighty

Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal, have mercy on us.

Deisis

He said to them, “ My cup you shall drink; but to sit on My right and on My left, this is not Mine to give, but it is for those for whom it has been prepared by My Father.”  

Matthew 20:23

Image from OrthodoxPhotos.com

Holy God

Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal, have mercy on us.

Essence

 

...I believe in Jesus Christ...begotten, not made, of one essence with the Father...



Homoousios is a Greek word meaning "same substance" or "same essence." It is used in the Nicene Creed to say that Jesus Christ is of one essence with the Father. Although it does not appear in the Bible, the fathers of the First Ecumenical Council ultimately decided that this was the best language to use concerning the Holy Trinity.



John 14:9
Jesus said to him, “Have I been so long with you, and yet you have not come to know Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father; how can you say, ‘Show us the Father’?

Scandal

Fr. Stephen writes:

Pascha runs utterly contrary to this world: from death comes Life. But this “principle” of Pascha is manifest in many other ways: we lose so that we might gain; we forgive that we might be forgiven; we love those who hate us; we give thanks where no thanks would be expected, etc. All of these actions make sense only in the light of Pascha. They are no less radical, no less scandalous.