Great Lent
The Journey of Joyful Sorrow in the expectation of the
Resurrection
The main reason Christianity spread so rapidly
following the Resurrection of Christ, was the power behind the resurrection.
The truth of Christ’s resurrection empowered believers to joyfully embrace
martyrdom, knowing that they would be joined in eternal bliss with their
resurrected Saviour. Although their martyrdom would involve both mental and
physical anguish, they were almost joyful in their willingness to go to their
deaths, rather than betray their faith. Not the kind of thing one would do just
to be part of some “religion”. Many contemporaries observed that these
Christians were facing their martyr’s death as though they were about to be
married. They were not grim faced, but shown a certain light in their
countenance, embracing, as they did, their crown of martyrdom.
When Saint Polycarp was sentenced by the proconsul, he
responded by asking why they were delaying his death by burning. These
believers were rejoicing as they faced their immanent death, for their
knowledge of the bodily resurrection of Christ, was proof enough to have giving
them an invincible courage as they faced certain death. Grand Duchess Elizabeth
and Nun Barbara were said to have been singing hymns, after having been thrown
into the well, by the Bolsheviks, as the prepared for eternal life with Christ.
Early Christian apologists cited hundreds of
eyewitnesses, many of whom willfully and resolutely endured prolonged torture
and death rather than repudiate their testimony. Their willingness to suffer
death, ruled out deception on their part. According to the historical record
most Christians could have ended their suffering simply by renouncing the
faith. Instead, most opted to endure the suffering and proclaim Christ’s
resurrection unto death.
What makes the earliest Christian martyrs remarkable
is that they knew whether or not what they were professing was true. They
either saw Jesus Christ alive-and-well after His death or they did not. If it
was all just a lie, why would so many Christians perpetuate a myth, given their
circumstances? Why would they all knowingly cling to such an unprofitable lie
in the face of persecution, imprisonment, torture, and death?
Immediately following Christ’s crucifixion, His
followers hid in fear for their lives. Yet following Christ’s resurrection they
boldly proclaimed the resurrection despite intensifying persecution. Only a
true resurrection could have accounted for a sudden change that would lead
believers to give up everything, including their lives, to preach Christ’s
resurrection.
One skeptic, Paul, was of his own admission a violent
persecutor of the early Church. Yet after an encounter with the resurrected
Christ, Paul underwent an immediate and drastic change from a vicious persecutor
of the Church to one of its most prolific and selfless defenders. Following his
encounter with the Risen Christ, Paul suffered impoverishment, persecution,
imprisonment, beatings, and finally execution for his steadfast commitment to
Christ’s resurrection.
The sorrow we Christians experience during our lenten
journey, is tempered with the knowledge that Christ is conquering death by His
death, and that His resurrection is our resurrection. We look to the future
with the same faith of the saints and martyrs that have gone on before us, and
we’ve experienced the truth of Jesus Christ’s teachings, for our hearts of been
transformed by the power of His message. Our sins have been forgiven, and we
are guests at the Eucharistic banquet, awaiting our time when the gates of
paradise will be opened to us. We fear nothing, just like the martyrs, because
we know the truth of the Holy Resurrection of Christ our God.
With love in Christ,
Abbot Tryphon
Photo: Professor Richard Steele, PhD, of Seattle
Pacific University, together with many of his students, joined us for the
Forgiveness Sunday Liturgy, and the Blini meal that followed.
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