Come All You Faithful

It was a beautiful day yesterday in Portland -- outside. Inside, in my neighborhood at least, it wasn't so great. A few people from our little Orthodox Community gathered to help one of our parishioners pack up his belongings to move into a nearby residential care facility. He has some serious health problems, and until recently his wife has been able to care for him. But a couple of months ago she was diagnosed with cancer, which is spreading rapidly, and simply doesn't have the strength to care for him any longer. So they have to separate. Obviously, this is an extremely difficult time for them.

As we were packing up pictures of them when they were younger, I kept staring at their wedding photos and feeling something staring back at me. It scared me. I didn't perceive it as fear at the time since I was quite detached from the reality that was closing in on me. But looking back, I realize I was afraid. Of what? Death. Disease, decay, and corruption will eventually catch up with me, overtake me, and strip me of everything human. OK - it is a legitimate fear, but it isn't the whole story. There is life after death.

Every Saturday night at Vigil, after hearing the Matins Gospel which is always on the theme of Christ's Resurrection, we sing:

Having beheld the resurrection of Christ,
Let us worship the holy Lord Jesus
The only sinless One.
We venerate Thy Cross, O Christ
And we praise and glorify Thy holy Resurrection
For Thou art our God
And we know no other than Thee
We call on Thy name
Come all you faithful
Let us venerate Christ's holy Resurrection
For behold, through the Cross joy has come into all the world
Let us ever bless the Lord
Praising His Resurrection
For by enduring the Cross for us
He has destroyed death by death.

At the moment, death has the upper-hand in my friends' lives and they are struggling to patiently endure their crosses. But I have every reason to believe that through them Christ will continue to mock and trample down death by the sufferings, deaths, and resurrection of His servant and handmaiden. "Come all you faithful, let us venerate Christ's holy Resurrection. For behold, through the Cross, joy has come into all the world."