Two Easters

I have had the unusual privilege of celebrating the night of the Resurrection twice this year.

First, the whole family attended the “Western” Easter Vigil at our local parish in Shepperton. The nine readings and eight psalms (who says Catholics don’t read the Bible?) charted the history of our salvation, from Creation to Resurrection, all confirming those wonderful words from the Exsultet: “This is the night when Jesus Christ broke the chains of death and rose triumphant from the grave.” This year A.S. had the privilege of proclaiming the reading from Baruch, that great hymn to Wisdom which prophesies the coming of Christ – He who “appeared on earth and moved amongst men” (Bar. 3:38). And as the night unfolded, our little church moved from darkness to brilliant light, slowly filling up with candles, flowers, “vegetation and seed-bearing plants” (Gen. 1:11) – the Old and the New Creations made flesh in front of our eyes.

A week later, A.S. and I attended the “Eastern” Easter Vigil in Moscow. We entered the Kazan Cathedral on Red Square at c. 11.30, and it was packed to overflowing with the faithful (who says the Orthodox don’t take their faith seriously?) singing the midnight office. At midnight, the church was in darkness, the Holy Doors were thrown open, the bells rang and the Paschal Candle emerged. Their candles lit from the One Light, as our lives are lit by Christ, the priests and congregation processed outside and around the Square, bearing crosses, candles, banners and icons, singing the Paschal troparion:

Christ is risen from the dead,
trampling down death by death,
and upon those in the tombs bestowing life!

Repeatedly they shouted in unison: “Christ is risen… Christ is truly risen!” (It sounds even better in Russian.) And across the Square, cold in his mausoleum, Lenin’s corpse betrayed no sense of the irony of the occasion.

“Eastern” and “Western” Churches have been at loggerheads for so long, and so unnecessarily. Let us pray that someday we will be happy to share the Paschal feast together, and eat of one bread, one body.

Happy Easter, everyone!

N.