In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, one God. Amen.

Khristos Anesti … Alithos Anesti

Christ is Risen … Truly He is Risen

I congratulate you all on the glorious Feast of Resurrection in the year 2023. We celebrate the glorious Resurrection after a prolonged fast. The Holy Lent that extended for 55 days. We celebrate the Resurrection as we do annually. As you know, the feast of the Resurrection is a celebration of the foundation of our faith. This feast of the Resurrection is a celebration of Christianity, a celebration of faith in Christ. As such, we celebrate the Resurrection each day in the prayer of the prime hour of the Agpeya. Moreover, we celebrate it each week on Sunday. Because it is the day of Resurrection, the Day of Light. We also celebrate it on the 29th of every Coptic month when we commemorate the Annunciation, Nativity, and Resurrection. We celebrate it every year on the glorious Feast of Resurrection, and our celebration extends for 50 days, which we call the Holy Fifties.

Indeed, the blessings of the Resurrection are innumerable in our life. I would like to discuss with you one of the rich gifts of the Resurrection of the King of glory. This is the gift of a positive vision toward life.

God created the human eye as an organ for vision. He formed two eyes on his face to look at the present and to look towards the future. He did not create an eye on the back, toward the past. He made man to always look ahead. Although we all have similar eyes, physiologically and anatomically, individual perception differs from one person to the other. Therefore, the positive view on life is characterized by three features.

The first characteristic is that it is realistic. It views matters realistically, rationally, and practically, not ideologically. It perceives matters realistically. So that when faced, they are clear and unambiguous.

Another aspect of a positive attitude in life is a compassionate outlook. That means that man’s perspective must include an act of mercy, because the opposite of mercy is cruelty. Cruelty has filled many hearts in the world. Thus, that conduct is not compassionate.

Another aspect of vision, the perception must be comprehensive, not a partial perception. As you all know, when we speak about a cup of water, is this cup half-full or half-empty? Some see it as a cup half-full of water. This is a positive and comprehensive view. Others see the glass as half-empty. This would be a negative view.

These features: realistic, compassionate, and comprehensive views, they all make up the positive attitude toward life.

I will give you several examples from the events of the Crucifixion and the Resurrection.

There were two disciples, John the beloved, and Judas Iscariot, two of the twelve Disciples chosen by Christ. They witnessed Christ’s teachings and miracles, and they were with him. Certainly, there were conversations between them and Jesus. While John the Beloved had a positive attitude and vision toward life. And we see him draw near to Christ our Master, he follows Him even to the Cross and through the trials. We see him delight in placing his head on the chest of Christ our Lord. He called himself “the disciple whom Christ loved” (John 19:26).

In contrast, Judas Iscariot had a materialistic view. He had a negative attitude. He did not see Christ as the Savior and Redeemer, Who came for the salvation of the world. And because he did not find the fulfillment of his materialistic or earthly ambitions, therefore, he sold his Master for thirty pieces of silver. Ultimately, he went and hung himself, died, and lost his eternal allotment.

The two were in the same situation. One had a positive vision and the other had a negative one.

Another example we see in the events of the Crucifixion is the two thieves. There was the thief on the left of Christ and the other on the right of Christ. They crucified two thieves with Christ our Lord, believing that He was a criminal. The thief on the left had a long oration “If You are the Christ, save Yourself and us…” (Luke 23:39) “Take away from us this pain we are in, the pain of the Cross…” The right thief had another perspective. In the same situation, at the same time, and with the same observations. The right thief had a positive insight. He recalled, “We are punished justly, for we receive the due reward of our deeds” (Luke 23:41). He looked at Christ and said: “Lord, remember me when You come into Your kingdom” (Luke 23:42). This phrase was an expression of prayer, an expression of repentance, articulation of a plea, a profession of hope. And Christ our Lord accepted it in the last hours of the life of the right thief, and He said to him, “Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise” (Luke 23:43).

This narrative applies to very many examples of the positive attitude in life. Therefore, beloved, strive to have a positive attitude. A positive outlook views matters favorably, for all events in your daily life, your work, service, and family.

You should have a positive attitude in all these circumstances. This is the effect of the Glorious Resurrection in human life. Keep your heart raised up always. Say, “Give me O Lord a positive outlook, that sees the truth, beauty, and positivity in matters. Distance me from negativity or narrow- mindedness.” That is an eye that only sees what is wretched. Life has an extended beauty in every good deed.

I am pleased to send you this message. I extend my heartfelt congratulations on behalf of the Coptic Church and on behalf of the Holy Synod. I offer it from here, Egypt, to all the dioceses, and to all churches and monasteries throughout the whole world. I congratulate my beloved brothers, the fathers the metropolitans, and bishops, the fathers the priests, the fathers the monks, and the mothers the nuns, the church boards, all the youth, all the servants, all the deacons, the entire congregation and all the children. I congratulate you all, wherever you are: in Europe, Africa, Asia, North America, South America, or Australia. I congratulate everyone, and this greeting I offer you, to all asking our Lord Jesus Christ who is risen from the dead to make you happy always and give you a positive outlook for every deed and every event in a one’s life. To our God be all glory and honor, from now and forever. Amen.

Khristos Anesti … Alithos Anesti

Pope Tawadros II

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