The whole Christian World eagerly anticipates Easter, as it is the feast of goodness, warmth and love. This feast has been filling the hearts of all believers with the light of awakening for over two millennia now. It is what makes Christians stronger and able to bear even the heaviest burden, because spring always comes after winter and the long-awaited joy wipes out the pain. Life defeats death. That is why the Resurrection of Christ is at the root of the Christian religion:

“It gives a meaning to the bright path our Savior leads us to”, the Metropolitan of Western and Central Europe Antonii told Radio Bulgaria. Being the emanation of God's love, Jesus was sent to Earth to show us the right way. His mission was to bear the heavy burden of human sins, redeem the mistakes of the fallen Old-testament mankind and introduce people to immortality. That is why the Orthodox Church views Easter as the biggest Christian feast. It anticipates Easter eagerly and marks the feats with great celebrations for three consecutive days. Christians greet one another on Easter Eve with Christ is Risen! People reply to these words with: Truly He Is Risen! This greeting sounds joyfully until Ascension Day. Christians spread the great news of Christ's resurrection for 40 whole days. It reaches all parts of the globe, brings hope and fills people with faith.”

Believers view the resurrection of Christ as a gift for their sufferings, which, however, can not be compared to Christ's passion. When people feel even the biggest pain, they always hope that their stoicism and humbleness would be recompensed.

 “That is absolutely right, because there is no resurrection without the crucifix”, Metropolitan Antonii pointed out. “The road of all Christians in life is the road to Golgotha, as we carry the burden of our daily round on our shoulders. If we walk this heavy road filled with love, patience and obedience, just like our Savior Jesus Christ, we would undoubtedly get closer to God. Only when we crucify our sins through confession and repentance, we would be able to welcome Jesus to our hearts, purge ourselves and become part of immortality”, Metropolitan Antonii further said.

In his words, Orthodox faith is a spiritual necessity which lies deeply in the hearts of all Bulgarians across the globe. That is why the initiatives of the Bulgarian communities abroad, especially those in Spain and Paris, regarding the construction of Orthodox Churches in these countries, prove the hunger of the Bulgarian communities for Orthodox traditions.

 “No matter how far these people live from their motherland, they all want to have an Orthodox temple. The daily round of the Bulgarian emigrants is difficult, because they were forced to live far from their motherland, in order to secure a better future for their families. The Church is the spiritual bridge connecting foreign countries and Bulgaria. It is an important institution which stands in support of the country's national spirit, traditions and history. The Bulgarian Orthodox tradition is mixed with a series of beautiful folk customs which accompany the celebrations of our great Church feasts. It makes us think more about our country and keep Bulgaria deep in our hearts. May your Easter holidays be filled with lots of joy, hope, faith and love”, Metropolitan Antonii wished everyone.

English version: Kostadin Atanasov