“This year we will not be able to transmit the Holy Fire from each other’s candle. Let us impart, though, the light of hope and fearlessness in Christ, from one heart to another. Christ is Risen,” Archbishop Anastasios of Tirana and all Albania wishes in his Easter message.
In his message, the Archbishop states that one of the basic gifts the Lord has given us is fearlessness. Fear is a dangerous advisor to man. People are afraid of various causes: war conflicts, natural disasters, epidemic diseases, such as the recent COVID-19 pandemic, which has shocked humanity as a whole.
As Archbishop Anastasios points out, at this time our thinking and behavior have been captured by the coronavirus. “But we must not let this invisible enemy bend us. God will not leave us! This unprecedented war will be won by a general, universal solidarity mobilization.”
According to Archbishop Anastasios, “the certainty of overcoming death offers a different perspective on daily life: we know that we have passed from death to life; and we know this because we love our brothers and sisters. This is the experience of innumerable people who, through the centuries, experience faith and love in Christ.”
He finally wishes, “Happy Easter, my brothers! Let us have the Resurrection within us! Let our hearts become ‘the temple of the living God.’ Let us oppose to the surprise and concern brought to us by this painful pandemic, the fearlessness bestowed by the crucified and resurrected Christ.”