He is Risen!

Christos voskrese! Christ is risen!

Voistinu voskrese! Indeed He is risen!

I've been singing the paschal troparion ever since waking up this morning—really, ever since I was up with Little Bear a little after midnight:

Christós voskrése iz mértvych,
smértiju smert' popráv, 
i súščym vo hrobích živót darováv.

(That would be Church Slavonic. In English, "Christ is risen from the dead, by death He trampled death, and to those in the tombs He granted life.")

This hymn... I can't say exactly why, but nothing really encapsulates the triumph and joy of Easter for me quite as simply and completely as this hymn does! 

Putting the kitchen to rights  last night after setting everything up, this thought popped into my head, and I wanted to share it with you. Reflecting on our Lent and how it did or didn't prepare us for this Easter, the focus shouldn't be how well we stuck to whatever arbitrary thing we picked to give up or take on; the question should be, how well did I love this Lent? What did I do, and what opportunities did I ignore, to love God, my family, those around me?

Praying that you and your family have a joyful, blessed Easter!