In his hymns for today’s feast, Saint John of Euchaita refers to this day as “heralding from afar the coming feast of the Resurrection,” stating that “this present time of relief prefigures the coming feast” of Pascha. These joyful words remind us that, even throughout these forty days of sustained ascetical effort, there are times when we must allow ourselves some relief. Lent, too, has its rhythms. This prefigured Paschal joy also reminds us that Jesus died so that he would not remain alone, but bear much fruit: the martyrs. Saint Theodore passed through martyrdom, and now he lives forever, interceding for Orthodox Christians before the throne of God. Every saint’s day shines with glimmers of the Paschal light, and the miracles and intercessions of the saints flow from the pierced side and the empty tomb.
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