I wish this holiday became a holiday of changing our tears to joy! - His Beatitude Sviatoslav on the occasion of Easter

This was emphasized by the Father and the Head of the UGCC His Beatitude Sviatoslav in his Easter greeting to the believers.

"We celebrate the greatest Christian holiday - the Resurrection of our Savior, Easter of the Lord. This feast for us has a life-giving meaning. I think that this holiday will give us an opportunity to answer the fundamental question: who are  Christians? Responding to this question, which perhaps we are now being asked by people of other religions, beliefs, or even by unbelievers, we can confidently say that Christians are those who became partakers of Christ's death and resurrection in the Sacrament of Baptism. Christians are witnesses of the risen Christ," said the Head of the UGCC.

According to him, apostolic preaching was reduced to two words: "Christ is resurrected!" The apostles saw the resurrected Savior, saw the wounds on His glorified Body, heard His words, consumed the supper after His resurrection, and then, throughout the world, a message was transmitted that Christ is Risen and death is defeated. The Apostles witnessed Christ's resurrection.

The Head of the Church also added that we, as Christians of the third millennium, are the heirs of those who saw and touched the risen Christ. So today we can say to the modern man the words of the Apostle John the Theologian: "What our eyes have seen, what our hands have touched, we proclaim the word of life, that your joy be full!"

"We know that the Christian martyrs of all times and nations, when they were torturted because of the faith of Christ, witnessed the resurrection. Yes, they went to death, allowed themselves to be killed, but at the time of their martyrdom, they testified about life, about life after death. And they also testified that the death, with which the tormentors threatened them, was defeated. After all, that death is Easter, and their way - is into life! " - said the Head of the UGCC.

His Beatitude Sviatoslav wished all believers that this holiday became a holy renewal of our faith, hope and love. "I wish that each of us in the celebration of this Easter once again realized who we are as Christians. I wish that we again felt that we are already living our eternal life and are walking to our Lord, even in spite of death. I wish that this holiday was a holiday of changing our tears to joy!" - sincerely addressed the faithful the spiritual leader of Greek Catholics.

"Let the risen Christ come to each of us: to everyone who lies in his locked coffin in his own shell, perhaps, fearing to go outside and change the world around us for the better. I want the resurrected Christ to come today to each of our homes, to the home of every Christian, to every Ukrainian in Ukraine and in the settlements, to give us His life-giving Spirit of the resurrected Savior, and bring us to life! Christ is Risen! He Is Risen Indeed! "- greeted the Ukrainians His Beatitude Sviatoslav.

Department of Information of the UGCC