From an Easter letter by Saint Athanasius, bishop
| Keep the coming feast of the Lord through deeds, not words |
|---|
The
Word who became all things for us is close to us, our Lord Jesus Christ
who promises to remain with us always. He cries out, saying: “See, I am
with you all the days of this age.” He is himself the shepherd, the
high priest, the way and the door, and has become all things at once for
us. In the same way, he has come among us as our feast and holy day as
well. The blessed Apostle says of him who was awaited: “Christ has been
sacrificed as our Passover.” It was Christ who shed his light on the
psalmist as he prayed: “You are my joy, deliver me from those
surrounding me.” True joy, genuine festival, means the casting out of
wickedness. To achieve this one must live a life of perfect goodness
and, in the serenity of the fear of God, practise contemplation in one’s
heart.
This was the way of the saints, who in their lifetime
and at every stage of life rejoiced as at a feast. Blessed David, for
example, not once but seven times rose at night to win God’s favour
through prayer. The great Moses was full of joy as he sang God’s praises
in hymns of victory for the defeat of Pharaoh and the oppressors of the
Hebrew people. Others had hearts filled always with gladness as they
performed their sacred duty of worship, like the great Samuel and the
blessed Elijah. Because of their holy lives they gained freedom, and now
keep festival in heaven. They rejoice after their pilgrimage in
shadows, and now distinguish the reality from the promise.
When we celebrate the feast in our own day, what path
are we to take? As we draw near to this feast, who is to be our guide?
Beloved, it must be none other than the one whom you will address with
me as our Lord Jesus Christ. He says: “I am the way.” As blessed John
tells us: it is Christ “who takes away the sin of the world.” It is he
who purifies our souls, as the prophet Jeremiah says: “Stand upon the
ways; look and see which is the good path, and you will find in it the
way of amendment for your souls.”
In former times the blood of goats and the ashes of a
calf were sprinkled on those who were unclean, but they were able to
purify only the body. Now through the grace of God’s Word everyone is
made abundantly clean. If we follow Christ closely we shall be allowed,
even on this earth, to stand as it were on the threshold of the heavenly
Jerusalem, and enjoy the contemplation of that everlasting feast, like
the blessed apostles, who in following the Saviour as their leader,
showed, and still show, the way to obtain the same gift from God. They
said: “See, we have left all things and followed you.” We too follow the
Lord, and we keep his feast by deeds rather than by words.
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We really need to get our medicine closet restocked and are already owing for medicines taken on credit. Plus, right now we very seriously need gloves and masks as this part of West Africa is threatened by the Ebola virus. Please help us!
God bless you
Br. dismas Mary
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