The Day of Resurrection and Our Response

An Oration on the Resurrection of the Lord. A day of joy and gladness, my beloved; a day of exultation and salvation, a day of enlightenment and sanctification, a day of peace and reconciliation; a day of the remodeling and renewal of our souls, a day truly great and wonderful and manifest. In this day, Christ raised us, having been cast down by sin; in this day, Christ made us alive together with him, having been dead through our trespasses; in this day, he opened paradise, that we might enjoy the tree of life; which is his precious and life-giving body and blood, through which we are ransomed and sanctified and enlightened and renewed. For Christ gave himself as a ransom for all of us, and led us out of death into life, from darkness into light, from slavery into liberty, and from enmity into a genuine friendship. Having become a curse for us, he ransomed us from the curse and from sin, so that we might receive adoption, so that we might no longer be slaves but free, no longer subject to passions but impassible, no longer lovers of the world but lovers of God, no longer walking according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.

He sanctified and glorified us in the Holy Spirit, so that we might walk in a newness of life; but what shall we return to the Lord for all these things which he has returned to us? What shall we return that is equal to his surpassing gift and grace? Let us thank and fall down before the Lord and worship him, and let us bring incense and hymns as gifts with fear and reverence; for the Master is both man-loving and good-loving, and he accepts all things, even if they are small and lowly things brought to him by us. Let us also, my brothers, love him who loved us by grace, let us die on behalf of him who died for us by gift, let us walk after his holy commandments; let us cleanse ourselves from every defilement of flesh and spirit, let us present to our God good works, faith, love, hope, and endurance, the breaking of hearts, the gift of compunction, the cleansing of conscience, the putting to death of earthly cares, fornication, impurity, passion, evil desire, and greed; let us serve the Lord with understanding, stability, fortitude, and patience; let us be filled to the brim with the cup of the true God and our Savior; let us sing to him a new song, let us all sing, let us clap our hands and shout to God with a voice of exultation, for the Lord is the Most High, a fearsome King over all the earth. A great Lord, and without limit is his majesty; a great Lord, and great is his power; he has abolished and trampled down our arrogant and proud enemy, the devil, and he has trampled down death, having gifted us all with eternal life. Let us all, beloved, enjoy the good gifts of this beautiful festival; let us enter rejoicing into...