Enter all of you, therefore, into the joy of our Lord,
and, whether first or last, receive your reward.
O rich and poor, one with another, dance for joy
O you ascetics and you negligent, celebrate the day!
–Paschal Homily of St. John Chrysostom
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
The Resurrection of our Lord means death is conquered!
Throughout this Bright Week we celebrate, rejoice, and exalt our Lord for His sacrifice and ultimate victory over darkness and death. Like many of us who were physically removed from our church communities this Pascha, those in prison also celebrated the Lord’s Resurrection in their hearts. They were also able to share a very small amount of communal celebration through a special Paschal message from OCPM in the mail.
This week we also reflect on the lessons we learned during Holy Week – for instance, that true repentance from the heart, as we saw from the Good Thief, means Christ will remember you when deciding who will enter His Father’s Heavenly Kingdom.
While we cannot enter the prisons and jails right now, we are still able to reach the prison population through our David C. Patton Correspondence Ministry program. For most, this will be their only hint of the Paschal season from the outside. Thank you for remembering and praying for them and we wish you all a Joyous Feast from everyone at OCPM.
Truly He is Risen!
Give at: theocpm.org/donate