Christ’s Resurrection and the spirit of this world

Reverend Andrei Rusu for Info-Prim Neo news agency For the Orthodox Christianity, and also for the Roman-Catholics and for some Protestant denominations, the Resurrection of Savior Jesus represents the theological foundation, the key point of the Creed, the event of maximum importance marking the historical time before Christ and after Christ. The most explicit in this respect remains Apostle Paul, who urged the Christians from Corinth: “... And if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain and vain is our preaching” (I Corinthians, 15, 17). Namely because of these reasons, Pascha, or the Holiday of Christ’s raising from the dead, is marked by the whole Christendom with much solemnity and much éclat. The fast preceding the Big Event is meant for the spiritual and somatic preparation of the believers to gain the joy of the Resurrection. It’s a period of 7 weeks, during which, the church services clue the Christian in the history of events before the Resurrection, especially stressing a virtuous way of life in Christ in order to gain spiritual resurrection. Unfortunately, few are those who, in marking Easter, also realize the Christian essentials mentioned above. Easter (as other religious and non-religious holidays) is often treated from the political perspective, by bringing the holy fire from Jerusalem, and from the economic perspective, through all kinds of fairs and “holiday sales.” In media, but also from some pulpits, much noise is done in this respect, the religious side being set aside, or erased at all. Since the 12th century, the Eastern-Orthodox Church linked the Jerusalem wonder to the Resurrection Holiday, which consists in a mystic descent of a fire in the Church of the Holy Sepulcher on Easter’s eve. Although questioned for centuries both by theologians and scientists, now the wonder is officially accepted by the Christian-Orthodox Theology. Only with one specification: we believe in Lord Christ not through the wonder of the Jerusalem fire, but because Savior Jesus descended from Devine Grace to become a man, to suffer as a man, to sacrifice Himself and to die on the cross, and to rise on the third day, thus re-establishing the man into the Goodness from which he fell through the sin of disobedience. It’s regrettable that, for the society we live in, the shallowness and the race for sensational things is viewed as more important than the essential elements. The Jerusalem fire is viewed, most often, only from the perspective of the sensational, and in Moldova, since 2001, they also make political capital on this wonder. They talk a lot about the delegation in charge with bringing the fire, as most pompous praises are made to the ones who contributed with money (as if it were not public money) to realize the event, and they say almost nothing about the joy of the Resurrection. As if it were not Christ’s Resurrection from the dead and a rebirth of man in the world of Eternity through this Resurrection, but more like a propaganda of this wonder, most often not understood by many. The Holy Table from the altar of every church symbolizes the Tomb of Christ. The votive light is on this table at any liturgical service. During the whole Lent, this light reminds about the purpose of this period – to get spiritually prepared for the Big Holiday. And during the Resurrection night, the priests take fire from that candle and invite the believers to come and take light. Thus, the sacred fire is in Jerusalem and in every church, being maintained by the faith and joy of the ones coming to receive it. Possibly, the money spent to bring the fire from overseas could be more useful to help the poor in these holidays... And, speaking about the economic side, exaggerating the gastronomic part through media and billboards shadows the genuine meaning of Easter. It’s like one more occasion to eat and drink insatiably, as it happens on March 8, or on May 9, or on November 7 (Communist holidays – e.n.). The religious holidays, as the Resurrection is, call on the Christian to get united with Christ through His Body and Blood during the Liturgy. That is why, one should go to the church on the Resurrection Night, as one should do every Sunday, one should get in communion with Christ, that is to seek the Heavenly Kingdom, and all the rest will be given to us, as God promised. Christ Is Risen! Verily He Is!