Tales from Today: Resurrection

Today for the kids' lecture in the church basement (during the adult's lecture upstairs) Fr Boris taught the kids the general rules of Orthodox prayer. One question he asked them was "Why do we stand when we pray?" Their answers, translated: "Because as Christians we are given work/struggles, and standing during prayer is one of them;" and "To help us concentrate our thoughts on prayer instead of on other things;" and "Because He is the king above all" (and you do not dare sit before a king). Fr Boris affirmed their good answers, then he further explained that we stand during prayer also because we believe in the resurrection of Christ. When someone is resurrected, he doesn't sit down, he stands up! And so as a symbol of our belief, we always stand during prayer.

Christ is risen!

Later today Taisia was singing with gusto the Paschal troparion (as she often does these days): "Christ is risen from the dead, trampling down death by death, and upon those in the tomb bestowing life!" Then she asked us individually: "Are you risen?" With a chuckle we each explained: "No, I'm not. First I have to die before I can be resurrected by (with) Christ."

Truly He is risen!