(Translated by the British poet PAUL ROACHE)
Whoever you are, come celebrate this shining happening, this festival of light; you the devout, God's unshakeable lover, and you the servant brimming with thanks. Come; walk into the joy of your Lord. And you, the impoverished faster, come for your wages. You, who began before sunrise, come for your stipend. You who waited till 9 in the morning; the feast is for you. And you, who began at 3 in the afternoon, do not hesitate; you shall not lose a thing. And you, who arrived just before sunset, forget you were late. Do not be bashful; our Master is magnanimous and welcomes the very latest with the very first. He will not entertain you less, you of the eleventh hour, than you the day toiler. To this one He gives and to that He showers rewards. And whether you were a success or whether you only tried, He will greet you; make much of your effort.
Let everyone, therefore, crowd into the exhilaration of our Savior. You the first and you the last, equally heaped with blessings. You the rich and you the poor, celebrate together. You the careful and you the careless, enjoy this day of days. You, that have kept the fast and you, that have broken it, be happy today. The table is laden with good things. Feast on it like princes; and drink, all of you. Drink from the cup; the vintage is faith. Feed sumptuously all; feed on His goodness, His sheer abundance.
No one needs think he is poor. For the universal empire is emblazoned; wide open for all. No one needs mourn the times he has fallen, be it over and over. For forgiveness itself has reared out of the tomb. No one needs fear death, for the Savior Himself has died and set us free. He confronted death in His own person and blast it to nothing. He descended to Hades, and laid it in ruins. He turned it defunct by the very taste of His flesh.
This is exactly what Isaiah foretold when he declared: "Hades was embittered through His encounter." Of course it was embittered, for it was mocked. It was embittered, for it was rendered void. It was embittered, for it was slain. It was embittered, for it is now captive. It took a body and, incredibly, looked upon God. It took earth, and behold, it encountered heaven.
Poor death, where is your sting? Poor Hades, where is your victory? Christ steps out of the tomb and you are reduced to nothing. CHRIST IS RISEN, and the devils collapse! CHRIST IS RISEN, and the angels are wild with delight! CHRIST IS RISEN, and life is set free! CHRIST IS RISEN, and the graves are emptied of the dead! Oh yes, for He broke from the tomb like a flower, a beautiful fruit, the first fruit of those already dead. Total glory be His and total triumph for ever and ever! Amen!