Archbishop Alexander's 2023 Archpastoral Pascal Letter

​PASCHA 2023 
Christ is risen!  Truly He is risen! 
 
Dearly beloved in the Lord, 
 
“Now He Who has raised Him from the dead will raise us also, provided we do His will, make His commandments our rule of life, and love what He loves...” St. Polycarp of Smyrna

On this radiant day of our Lord’s Pascha, we celebrate the triumph of life over death, and the promise of eternal life for those who believe.  As we have heard in the Divine Liturgy of St. Basil the Great celebrated over the Sundays of Great Lent and on Holy Thursday and Holy Saturday, Christ “became the first-fruits of the fallen asleep, the first-born of the dead, so that he is first all things in all.”

As we celebrate Pascha, let us remember the words of the Holy Apostle Paul, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!” (2 Corinthians 5:17). Through the resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, we too are made new and given the possibility to live a life of righteousness and eternal life.

In greeting our Lord’s radiant Resurrection, let us also be mindful of the importance of living a life that honors God as his new creation. We are called to love one another, to serve others, and to share the Good News of the Resurrection with those around us. Let us embrace this season of Pascha with open hearts, ready to receive the blessings and grace that God has for us, as we look forward to the promise of eternal life.

May the light of Christ’s Resurrection fill our hearts and minds, and may we be renewed for service to God and neighbor in our Risen Lord’s grace and love for mankind. 
 
With love in the risen Christ, 
 
+Alexander 
Archbishop of Toledo and the Bulgarian Diocese 
PASCHA 2023

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