“A real freedom is a capacity to choose good”, His Beatitude Sviatoslav

Moreover, in our life there are other complicating moments. Quite clear and frequent it happens when terrestrial and heavenly are intermingled and it’s hard for a person to decide what is more important for her at that particular moment. Thus, in this case not less important question is brought up: what is the quality of a Christian life? To what extent material, cultural and spiritual aspects have an influence on quality of our life in Ukraine?

Head and Father of UGCC His Beatitude Sviatoslav is trying to find and give answers for these questions during his Easter interview on “Channel 5”.

“When someone has enough courage and strength to face death with a hope for a resurrection – he is an undefeated one”.

Resurrection of Jesus Christ answers the hardest questions about our life, society and reveals the sense of our sufferings. Hence, it answers the question: is there life after death? I assume that modern culture does not have much serious and deep answers for these questions. One philosopher used to say: if a person doesn’t know why she is dying, she doesn’t know what she is living for.

In our hearts we feel that a human isn’t created for a death, as she is created for a life. And a human craves to live forever.

In a feast of Resurrection Christ not only with His word, His teaching but with His personal life story gives an answer for these deep questions. Death is not the end. Life is something more than just a terrestrial life. When someone has enough courage and strength to face death with a hope for a resurrection – he is an undefeated one. Thus, Christ says, there is nothing impossible for the one who believes.

“Christians are those who witness resurrection not only with their lives but with their deaths too”.

Here is meant that there is life worth being sacrificed giving up a terrestrial one. It is no longer a secret that Christian martyrs throughout life and among all nations, being ready to meet their deaths were singing “Christ is risen from the dead, trampling over death by death…” Since “martyr” means “witness of resurrection”.

In the letter to Hebrews we find words, saying that devil keeps a man in its power of fear before death. Once a fear before death is destroyed, devil loses its power. Looking into death face, mainly with the eyes of our soldiers, who are defending our country today, our life at the front line, we see a victory. We see the victory over the death. That’s why it is so much important to sing “Christ is risen from the dead” during this Pasch with our soldiers and chaplains at the frontline. He granted us freedom to live, live in fullness. This freedom is not given us by some world’s master or according to an international agreement, but this freedom is given us by death and resurrection of our Savior.

“The quality of life is to live eternal life here, on earth, as eternal life is different from terrestrial one with a quality of it, not the number of years”.

The philosophy or theory of quality of life by its nature is absolutely atheistic, based on very simple basements. The quality of life of a human is influenced by the ability to feel pleasure or experience pain as less as possible, on the contrary, to enjoy life as much as possible. And when a moment comes when someone is no longer able to enjoy life because of some physical imperfection or social status, then such kind of theory doubts a fact of life itself.

From a Christian perspective the quality of life does not mean to escape suffering in a pursuit of pleasures. Specifically, it is a psychology of a slave. The quality of life is to live eternal life here, on earth, as eternal life is different from terrestrial one with a quality of it, not the number of years. Christ, through His death shared with us His eternal divine life.

If we, being Christians, really believe in Resurrection, we will be able to change the world around us. We are able to conquer evil. We will be able not to be afraid of sufferings, but these sufferings turn into a capital of a personal growth. We know that mystery of the cross in life of every person is an inevitable part of our pascal entrance.

Pasch is a chance to receive life in a resurrected Christ right today, what gives us sheer joy and great optimism, grant us strength and courage to change the world we live in, filling it with a new quality.

Oksana Voytko,

The UGCC Department for Information