Let the joy of the forthcoming Feast of the Resurrection
Fill the souls and hearts of every Christian,
And let the words of the festive greeting resound loudly throughout the springtime-bathed creation of God: Christ is risen – Indeed He is risen!

His Holiness Serbian Patriarch kyr Porfirije extended his congratulations on the occasion of the Feast of the Resurrection to Pope of Rome Francis, Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby, Apostolic Nuncio Archbishop Santo Gangemi, Archbishop of Belgrade and President of the International Bishops’ Conference of Saints Cyril and Methodius Ladislav Nemet, Coadjutor Archbishop of Zagreb and President of the Croatian Bishops’ Conference Dražen Kutleša, Archbishop of Ljubljana Stanislav Zore, as well as to the Bishops and dignitaries of the Churches of the Reformation, and to all the brothers and sisters celebrating the Feast of the feasts the next day. The congratulatory message of the Patriarch states among other things:

Now it came to pass, as He sat at the table with them,
that He took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them.
Then their eyes were opened and they knew Him;
and He vanished from their sight.
(Luke 24:30–31)

As Saint Luke the Evangelist testifies, Apostles Luke and Cleopas excitedly rushed to Jerusalem to share with the eleven and other Disciples of Christ what they experienced on the road to Emmaus. In Jerusalem, they are greeted no less excitedly by those who, because of fear of the Jews (John 20:19), were hiding in secret places, saying: The Lord is risen indeed, and has appeared to Simon (Luke 24:34). What remains for us, the children of this age, except to bear witness with the same enthusiasm as the apostles and all the Christian generations after them – our Lord Jesus Christ rose from the dead for us and for our salvation. Since that miraculous morning, we no longer seek the living among the dead (Luke 24:5), but we offer Him praise as the Firstborn from the dead (Colossians 1:18). Owing to the Resurrection, we see how the corruptible has put on incorruption, and the mortal has put on immortality (1 Corinthians 15:54). Therefore, with Paul, we also exclaim: O death, where is your sting? O Hades, where is your victory? (1 Corinthians 15, 55). Let the joy of the forthcoming Feast of the Resurrection fill the souls and hearts of every Christian, and let the words of the festive greeting resound loudly throughout the springtime-bathed creation of God: Christ is risen – Indeed He is risen!

Serbian Patriarch Porfirije