Christ is Risen! Hristos Anesti!

For the first time in my life, I attended Pascha at a Greek church. Coming from a very Russian tradition, I was admittedly hesitant about what my experience would be: no four part music, no Pascha baskets. Would it even feel like Pascha?

Boy, did I receive the greatest surprise (and blessing) of my life! Even without a procession and half of the service in Greek, I had never been more "present" in the ultimate miracle that is Christ's resurrection.

Perhaps it was because the lack of everything familiar forced me to focus more on the words of the hymns instead of their melodies; perhaps it was because the community I have slowly begun to become a part of at that parish (where I will be attending full time after Frank and my wedding in July) felt so much like celebrating with family; or perhaps it was simply the Grace of the Holy Spirit showing me the true reality behind all externals - this Pascha I truly grasped the eternal significance of words I have sung thousands of times over my lifetime:

"Christ is risen from the dead, trampling down Death by death, and upon those in the tombs bestowing life!"

We sing this so often and in so many different languages and melodies that I think we Orthodox often take the words themselves for granted.

Christ is risen! THIS is what makes Pascha, and if I sing nothing else, or if I have to wait until tomorrow to eat what was in my Pascha basket, or anything else - THIS is what encapsulates the fullness of the Feast.

This realization was truly humbling - after years of learning music for Pascha, learning recipes for Pascha, learning the rubrics for Pascha - all that truly matters is the first thing I ever learned about Pascha as a young child:

Christ is risen! Truly He is risen!

Pictures from Pascha: http://picasaweb.google.com/jkhouri87/Pascha2009?feat=directlink