Radical Response to Pascha

For many, Great Lent, Holy Week and Pascha are an intense seven week of prayer, fasting, and attending as many Church services as possible. On the surface this annual pilgrimage appears to be temporary, as many return to their ‘normal life’ after Pascha. This was not the case in the ancient Church.

In those days, Peter said to the people, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is to you and to your children and to all that are far off, every one whom the Lord our God calls to him.” And he testified with many other words and exhorted them, saying, “Save yourselves from this crooked generation.” So those who received his word were baptized, and there were added that day about three thousand souls. And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. And fear came upon every soul; and many wonders and signs were done through the apostles. – Acts 2.38-43

At that time, there was a man of the Pharisees, named Nikodemos, a ruler of the Jews. This man came to Jesus by night and said to him, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher come from God; for no one can do these signs that you do, unless God is with him.” Jesus answered him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born from above, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” Nikodemos said to him, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?” Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born from above.’ The Spirit blows where it wills, and you hear the sound of it, and you do not know whence it comes or whither it goes; so it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.” Nikodemos said to him, “How can this be?” Jesus answered him, “Are you a teacher of Israel, and yet you do not understand this? Truly, truly, I say to you, we speak of what we know, and bear witness to what we have seen; but you do not receive our testimony. If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how can you believe if I tell you heavenly things? No one has ascended into heaven but he who descended from heaven, the Son of man who is in heaven. And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life.” – John 3.1-15

Once the crowd heard the Good News (Gospel) preached by Saint Peter, they were baptized and “devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.” Sounds sort of like Great Lent and Holy Week, doesn’t it? Baptism is not just an outwardly ritual we perform to show our loyalty to Christ. Baptism is a NEW birth into a NEW life. We no longer are children of the flesh, but children of God. Being children of God requires a radical response.

Being in Church every day isn’t just for Holy Week. The ancient Church devoted themselves to being in Church. “Breaking bread” refers to the Holy Eucharist. The “apostles’ teaching and fellowship’ refers to communal life and morals of the Church. In the context of the pagan world, this life was radical and new.

Consider how you felt last week, during the intensity of Holy Week. Most gathered in the Church not out of obligation but a true sense of passion for Christ. Yes, there are many cultural traditions that go along with Holy Week and Pascha that differ from one place to another, but nobody questions the desire to be in Church every night during Holy Week. Why does it have to stop?

Why do we feel the need to ‘return to normal’ and our secular lives, just hours after we celebrate Holy and Great Pascha? In some cases, I know of people who ‘moan and groan’ over the tradition of using the Paschal greeting for forty days. “I already said it to you. Why do I need to say it again?” This is one of the reasons I established Be Transfigured Ministries in the first place. We have become totally disconnected from our traditions and their origins and purpose. It makes us great pharisees, but that’s for another day.

In the meantime, I invite you to make a radical response to Pascha. Make a commitment to continue some of the spiritual practices you started during Great Lent or Holy Week. If this was the first year you fasted seriously, meet with your spiritual father, and come up with a game plan to continue fasting at a level that will not burn you out. If this was the first time you attended weekday services, search out your parish liturgical calendar and plan to attend more services. It may seem radical, but it is exactly what the first Christians did in response to Pascha. They devoted themselves….we can too.