Christ is risen!

Prayers and good wishes for readers who celebrate Easter today in conformity with the Julian Paschalion. If you fall into this category, I hope that at the time of this writing you are either (a) in church, (b) feasting, or (c) enjoying a good rest after (a) and (b) - in which case you'll probably read these words long after they were posted! For the edification of all on this Feast of Feasts, here are some sights and sounds of Pascha, beginning in the above video with a small part of Paschal Matins as celebrated at Holy Cross Orthodox Church in High Point, North Carolina.



Here is a second selection from the Paschal liturgy, words and music beloved by many (myself included) sung in the above video by the St. Barnabas Orthodox Church Choir:

The Angel cried to the Lady full of grace:
Rejoice, rejoice O pure Virgin!
Again, I say rejoice! Your son is risen
from his three days in the tomb.
With himself he has raised all the dead.
Rejoice, rejoice O ye people!
Shine, Shine! Shine O new Jerusalem!
The Glory of the Lord has shone on you.
Exult now, exult and be glad O Zion!
Be radiant, O pure Theotokos, in the Resurrection,
the Resurrection of your Son!



Finally, from St. Elias Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church in Brampton, Ontario, here is the Paschal Troparion ("Christ is risen from the dead / Trampling down death by death / And upon those in the tombs bestowing life!") sung in Greek, Latin, Church Slavonic, French, and Portuguese - a collection of languages which, for various reasons, I'm delighted to hear together in one place.

Once again, prayers and good wishes for all. Christ is risen! AMDG.