Perspectives
We Are Always Going Toward Pascha by Janice Bidwell
Great Lent came and went , and I ’ m still traveling toward Pascha at a steady lumbering pace . My life is a series of peaks and valleys between the seasons , but my route never varies . This rhythm is unchanging , and yet different each year . This is the path I travelled as a child , and now I ’ m on this same Paschal path of my ancestors with my own children . The century is new , but the ancient pattern is timeless .
As we conclude this Paschal celebration it ’ s time for me to store away the Easter decorations , but I must keep my Paschal spirit right at the center of my heart . The pace and beauty of Holy Week brightens my faith , and keeping this light bright throughout the year is the focus of my journey toward God . The seed of Pascha is now planted in my soul , but I must nourish this seedling throughout the year . The joy of the Christ ’ s Resurrection is the central theme of Christianity , and of our life as a family . Our life extends beyond today ; our journey is toward eternal life ....
“ The only real thing , especially in the child ’ s world , which the child accepts easily , is precisely joy . We have made our Christianity so adult , so serious , so sad , so solemn that we have almost emptied it of that joy . Yet Christ Himself said , ‘ Unless you become like children , you will not enter the Kingdom of God ,’ To become as a child in Christ ’ s terms means to be capable of that spiritual joy of which an adult is almost completely incapable ” ( Alexander Schmemann , Easter in the Liturgical Year , 1963 ).
As I experience the presence of God in the shadows of my life , I nourish this Paschal brightness . The seed of Pascha rests in the soul and continues growing throughout the seasons with this steady light . Sharing and nourishing the Paschal seed is seeing this brightness every day , even on cloudy stormy days . Reflecting this light towards my family guides us along the lumbering path toward Easter , and seeing this brightness in the world reflects my love for others and for God . The reflection of this light of God ’ s love is the spirit of Orthodoxy I learned from the generations of Orthodox Christians in my family , and is also the tradition within the broader community of the Orthodox Church . Love within the heart of one , moves the hearts of others all around . Going toward Easter , is going toward a loving God shining in the light of the world .
“ The center , the day , that gives meaning to all days and therefore to all time , is that yearly commemoration of Christ ’ s Resurrection at Easter . This is always the end and the beginning . We are always living after Easter , and we are always going toward Easter ” ( Alexander Schmemann , Easter in the Liturgical Year , 1963 ).
Living every day on a journey toward forever Easter is unnatural in the world today . It was unnatural for me as a child , and it ’ s unnatural for my children today . The rays of light which feed this Paschal seed help it grow deeper roots all year long , when it ’ s exposed to this steady light . Life within the Orthodox Church is also life at home , and Pascha does not end as I exit the doors of the church . My children must see the joy of Pascha live on within me and within our Orthodox community . This is the hope of our Faith and our hope as a family on this journey toward Easter . From Sunday to Sunday throughout the year the light of Pascha must shine , and each Sunday is a little Easter as we celebrate the Resurrection of Christ .
A Living Spirit of Pascha
The joy of Pascha is there hiding within the smaller points of everyday living . It ’ s not in the wrapping of the package , but throughout the inside of life . If every moment of my life is a movement toward forever Easter , then I must be conscious of each movement reflecting this joy of Christ ’ s Resurrection . Every minute is a gift ( even if some moments I would rather exchange ), and seeing this joy is a central theme of life from Pascha to Pascha . Capturing the energy of Pascha within the smaller moments of my life passes this spirit of Orthodox living along through the generations and extends beyond the church on Holy Pascha , to each moment of living in the world .
The Apostle ’ s Path 5