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The Serbian Orthodox Church to her spiritual children at Pascha, 2023

PORFIRIJE

By the Grace of God Orthodox Archbishop of Pec, Metropolitan of Belgrade Karlovci and Serbian Patriarch, with all the Hierarchs of the Serbian Orthodox Church to all the clergy, monastics, and all the sons and daughters of our Holy Church: grace, mercy and peace from God the Father, and our Lord Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit, with the joyous Paschal greeting:

Christ is Risen!

And entering the tomb, they saw a young man clothed
in a long white robe sitting on the right side; and they were alarmed.
But he said to them, “Do not be alarmed.
You seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified.
He is risen! He is not here.
See the place where they laid Him.
(St. Mark 16, 5-6)

Let us rejoice, our dear spiritual children, let us rejoice and celebrate the Feast of feasts, the Resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ from the dead. We rejoice and celebrate because we, as the myrrhbearing women of old, have heard the words of the angel: “Do not be afraid!” We rejoice and celebrate the Resurrection of our Lord Christ as for more than eight centuries the white angel of the famous frescoe in the Mileseva monastery of Saint Sava has been pointing to the empty tomb and telling us: “He is risen, He is not here!” Let us rejoice because despite all circumstances and difficulties we are accompanied by the deep and peaceful “Old Serbian” eyes of the White angel – the most beautiful, the most beloved and the most glorious frescoe created in our nation- telling us that Jesus of Nazareth, crucified on the cross, is risen from the tomb.

"Having fulfilled Forty Days... we ask to see the Holy Week of Thy Passion." With these words sung at Vespers of Friday, Lent comes to its end and we enter into the annual commemoration of Christ's suffering, death and Resurrection. It begins on the Saturday of Lazarus. The double feast of Lazarus' resurrection and the Entrance of the Lord to Jerusalem (Palm Sunday) is described in liturgical texts as the "beginning of the Cross" and is to be understood therefore, within the context of the Holy Week. The common Troparion of these days explicitly affirms that by raising Lazarus from the dead, Christ confirmed the truth of general resurrection. It is highly significant that we are led into the darkness of the Cross by one of the twelve major feasts of the Church. Light and joy shine not only at the end of Holy Week but also at its beginning; they illumine darkness itself, reveal its ultimate meaning.

On the Sunday before the Feast of Great and Holy Pascha and at the beginning of Holy Week, the Orthodox Church celebrates one of its most joyous feasts of the year. Palm Sunday is the commemoration of the Entrance of our Lord into Jerusalem following His glorious miracle of raising Lazarus from the dead. Having anticipated His arrival and having heard of the miracle, the people went out to meet the Lord and welcomed Him with displays of honor and shouts of praise. On this day, we receive and worship Christ in this same manner, acknowledging Him as our King and Lord. 

The annual meeting of the clergy and presidents of the Church Councils in Great Britain and Ireland was held on March 31st, 2023, at St. Sava's Church in London. His Eminence the Right Reverend Dositej, Bishop of Britain and Scandinavia, presided over the Divine Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts, with the following co-celebrants: Archimandrite Stefan (Ponjarac), parish priest in Oxford, Very Reverend Dragan Lazic, Bishop's vicegerent for the Deanery of Britain and Ireland and dean of St. Sava's Church in London, Very Reverend Boris Medak, parish priest in Derby, and Very Reverend Mladen Gardovic, parish priest in Dublin.

Before the Liturgy all clergy and presidents of the Church Councils in the Deanery of Britain and Ireland partook in the Holy Sacrament of Confession, which, by blessing of Bishop Dositej, was presided by Very Reverend Milun Kostic, a retired priest from London. At the end of the Liturgy, Bishop Dositej addressed all present with a homily on the importance of faith and feats in the life of Christians.

After the Liturgical celebration a meeting of all the parish priests and presidents of Church Councils was held, presided by His Eminence Bishop Dositej. Main topics of focus during the meeting were the situation in parishes and church municipalities, with a view of how to improve the liturgical and community life for parishioners. Challenges faced by the mission of the Serbian Orthodox Church in Britain and Ireland was another key point of discussion. At the end of the meeting, Bishop Dositej thanked all present for their participation and wished a blessed end to the Great Fast and a happy feast of the Resurrection of Christ.

V. Rev. Dragan Lazic