It is sad for me as I travel around now in Pascha time, because wherever I go, there are many new people coming from Russia, and I see how quickly they have become Canadianised in a negative way. When I say “Christ is risen” to them they say: “Indeed He is risen” very quietly. That is the Canadian way. Canadian ways are all right in some ways, except when it comes to “Christ is risen.” When somebody says: “Christ is risen”, this is the center of our life. We have to say: “Indeed He is risen.” We have to say it with strength, not just the Canadian: “Yeah, sure, He is risen.” If we are Orthodox Christians, what is this about? This is the centre of our life – the Resurrection of Jesus Christ. That’s why we are here today. That’s why Russia survived seventy years of persecution, death, destruction. That’s why the Orthodox Church is alive today in Russia. The Church is being resurrected.
Icon: A seraph purifying the lips of the Prophet Isaiah.
I am not, nor have I ever been, a Canadian. I couldn't help but chuckle, though, upon reading the opening paragraph of a sermon delivered by His Eminence, Archbishop Seraphim of Ottawa and Canada (OCA), on the Sunday of the Myrrh-Bearing Women three years ago:
Fr. Joseph Huneycutt recently had a fascinating podcast on this same topic over on Ancient Faith Radio.
ReplyDeleteHe mentioned the following story: Every time that a priest proclaimed "Christ is Risen" in any language at a parish in the south, there would always be that one guy in the back of the church that would respond, "Hallelujah!" "Amen!" or "Yeehaw!"
The German reply is often "Ach so..."
ReplyDeleteBoy, not me! When Father yells, "Hristos Anesti! I bellow back with much joy "Alithos Anesti!"...the only Greek response in a Russian church!
ReplyDeleteHe and I chuckle over it every year.
TRULY, HE IS RISEN!!!!
That's partly true in one of the parishes I attend, I noticed that most people were saying it in a normal tone of voice with the exception of one guy bellowing it.
ReplyDeleteI would've assumed the Canadian way was, "Indeed He is risen, eh?"
ReplyDeleteLoll!
ReplyDelete