Beloved in Christ,
Today, the Church rejoices with a brightness that surpasses all earthly light, for we celebrate Bright Monday, the first day after the glorious feast of Pascha. The tomb is empty, death is conquered, and the eternal joy of the Resurrection shines upon all creation. As the radiant hymn of the day proclaims: “Christ is risen from the dead, trampling down death by death, and upon those in the tombs bestowing life!”
The joy of Pascha does not end with Sunday; it flows onward, like the living waters that pour forth from the empty tomb. Even as the women came to the tomb, trembling yet hopeful, we too are called to continue walking in the light of the Resurrection. Let us not allow the sorrow of the world, nor the cares of our own hearts, to obscure the radiant dawn of Christ’s victory.
On this day, the Church calls us to remember that the Resurrection is not merely an event in history, but a living reality for each of us. We are invited to enter the joy of the Risen Christ, to rise with Him in spirit, to put off the old life of sin and fear, and to walk in newness of life. As Saint John Chrysostom exhorts us: “Do not be satisfied with seeing the resurrection as a past event; make it your own, let it shine in your heart!”
Bright Monday is also a reminder that the joy of Christ’s Resurrection is contagious, meant to be shared. We greet one another with the Paschal joy: “Christ is risen!” and in this greeting, we become witnesses of hope to the world, proclaiming that the power of death is broken, that sorrow has been transformed into eternal gladness.
Let us then, beloved, continue to feast in the light of Pascha. Let us carry the Resurrection in our hearts throughout every day, allowing it to dispel fear, heal divisions, and strengthen us to love God and neighbor. Just as the angel said to the women at the tomb: “He is not here; He has risen”—so too does He call each of us to leave behind the tombs of our own despair and doubt, and to walk boldly in the freedom and life He has won for us.
Christ is risen! Truly, He is risen!
