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My dear sons and daughters,
Christ is risen, truly He is risen!
“He is not here; for He is risen, as He said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay” (Matthew 28:6).
This is the good news that the angel announced to the two Marys, who with great devotion, hurried very early Sunday morning to Christ’s tomb.
But no one was there. His body was no longer in the tomb.
The resurrection of Christ was extraordinary in two ways. First, because it was powerful and second because it was glorious.
It was powerful because many were raised from the dead, both in the Old and New Testaments, but they had not risen by their own power. For example, Elijah and Elisha raised the dead in the Old Testament. Likewise, the Apostles and other saints raised many from the dead. But how? Not by their own power nor by the power of the one who had died, but only by the power of God through prayer. Christ, however, rose from the dead by His own power.
It was glorious because Christ rose to a glorified, immortal, invulnerable life. Others who had been raised in the Old and New Testament, were raised to a mortal life and the hurtful miseries of this world. But Christ alone arose from death to a glorious life.
“Knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, dies no more. Death no longer has dominion over Him” (Romans 6:9).
Our Lord rose from the dead! That amazing fact should impact our daily lives. Instead of living for ourselves, we should focus on Christ and tell others about His crucifixion, His glorious resurrection and the gift of eternal life, which He gave to everyone who believes in Him.
The message we need to always remember is that Christ is alive. He rose from the dead. The tomb is empty. Our sins are forgiven through His Blood. He opened the door of paradise once again. He’s inviting all of us to live with Him in heaven forever. We will have a resurrected, glorified body just like Him.
Wishing all of you a happy Feast of the Resurrection, through the prayers of our beloved father, His Holiness Pope Tawadros II.
May God bless all of you,
— His Grace Bishop Mina
Bishop of the Coptic Orthodox Diocese of Mississauga, Vancouver, and Western Canada
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