Penza, 1 May 2016. PenzaNews. The Archbishop Serafim of Penza and Nizhny Novgorod has addressed the congregation, monastics and all Orthodox population of the region with a speech dedicated to Orthodox Easter.

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“Today is the great day that stands above all other days in the history of the mankind, as the God Resurrected tore apart the ties of sin and death, the ties in which the mankind and the whole nature were bound diabolically! The Resurrection of Christ marked all with new rejuvenating light of eternal life. In but one moment, the suffering of our Savior does lead people up from the depths of hell, raise them from the earth and place them into the heavens,” the archbishop said.

He also reminded of the meaning of Christ’s Reurrection for Orthodox Christians.

“The grace of Christ’s resurrection is an inexhaustible source of redemption for the man and the world at any time and place, the full transformation of the mankind, the transformation that the God Incarnate did bring by His coming and resurrection. Thus, for us the Resurrection of Christ bears the same power, importance and meaning as two thousand years ago,” Archbishop Serafim stressed.

The holy day celebrated today is the day of great festivities, he added.

“Let nobody stay away from the celebration of all, be he even a sinner, but he must not lament for own redemption. If even a thief reached the heaven, why not a Christian receive redemption? Even if the God, when crucified, brought mercy for all who lived before, why should He spare mercy for those born after His resurrection? And if in suffering His grace could offer so much to those who held His confession, how much will the glory of His resurrection bring for those that follow Him? As the glorious victory, as you know, bears more fortune than heavy defeat,” said the Archbishop of Penza and Nizhny Novgorod.

However, according to him, the festivities of Easter must not lead people to forgetting about the great injustice in Ukraine, where thousands of people are persecuted in offenses against the canonical Orthodox Church and suffer under tough economic times.

“May each of us do pray to God on this holy night for peace in Ukraine. Let us not forget about our neighbors who did believe in the Christ and those yet far from the belief, those with fortune and especially those in need of our support. Let us turn our love to everyone, let us try to extend a helping hand to those in need and bring the happy word of Christ Resurrected to all,” said the archbishop.

“I wish you all to find love under the church’s shroud, led by the blessed experience of our Orthodox holy fathers and strengthened in belief by the sacraments of our holy mother the church,” he added.