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Salvation - Pascha Cycle - Pascha

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Setting the Scene

Consider these sayings on Easter from the Fathers ...

"Many indeed are the miracles of that time: God crucified; the sun darkened and again rekindled; for it was fitting that the creatures should suffer with their Creator; the veil rent; the Blood and Water shed from His Side; the one as from a man, the other as above man; the rocks rent for the Rock's sake; the dead raised for a pledge of the final Resurrection of all men; the Signs at the Sepulchre and after the Sepulchre, which none can worthily celebrate; and yet none of these equal to the Miracle of my salvation. A few drops of Blood recreate the whole world, and become to all men what rennet is to milk, drawing us together and compressing us into unity."

St. Gregory the Theologian

"Thou hast given thyself for redemption:
Soul for soul, Body for body, and Blood for blood,
Man for man, and Death for death.
O strange and unspeakable mystery:
The Judge was judged;
He who loosed the bound was bound;
He who created the world was fixed with nails;
He who measures heaven and earth was measured;
He who gives creatures life died;
He who raises the dead was buried.
What is this new Creation?
The Judge is judged and is silent;
The Invisible is seen on the Cross and is not ashamed;
The Infinite is contained and does not complain;
The Impassible suffers and does not seek vengeance;
The Immortal dies and says nothing;
The King of heaven is buried and endures it.
What is this strange Mystery?"

St. Melito of Sardis

The resurrection is the most important feast of the Orthodox Church, not just at Easter-time itself of course (Pascha) but on each and every Sunday which is considered to be a "little Pascha."  The whole round of Holy Week and Easter services presents the faithful each year with a deeply moving celebration of God's infinite Love for all in coming amongst us to undo the curse of death and hell.  Resurrection is truly an eternal Spring time for the soul.

A story is told of Russia under the Soviet yoke that a Communist Party official once visited a rural village to address the people on the demise of God and the glories of the Marxist utopia.  He went on about this for some time apparently and the people listened to him politely.  At the end of his lecture he invited questions.  Unknown to him the village priest was present in ordinary dress.  With some presence of mind, this elderly servant of God rose to his feet, turned his back on the speaker and declaimed:- "Christos Voskrese! (Christ is Risen!).  The reply was returned promptly and in unison:- "Vo-istinu Voskrese!" (Indeed He is risen!).

Practical

From the first witnesses of the resurrection to the present day, the Church has unfailingly held to the belief that Christ was raised from his three day burial bodily.  Orthodox Christians do not believe in a natural survival beyond death but rather in God's miraculous re-creation of new life in a wondrously changed but nonetheless bodily form.

Something to think about ...

So, why is the resurrection of the BODY a key feature of Christian believing?  Would our belief in salvation be markedly different if Christ's own body had not shared in the resurrection?  What is it about the "body" ... the flesh, that is so important after all?

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