The Resurrection of Lazarus/ Divine Liturgy Held at the Church of the Annunciation in Tirana

2025-04-12 16:51:00, Aktualitet CNA

For all Orthodox believers, today is Lazarus Saturday, the Resurrection of Lazarus.

This date is the name day for all those named Lazar, Lazar, Lazaria, Llazi, Lazi, Llazo, Lazarion, Lazariona, Lazri, Galinia, Harisa, Hara, Kalia, who bear the name and celebrate in honor of Saint Lazar and the martyrs, whom we celebrate today.

On this occasion, the Divine Liturgy was held today by the Church of the Evangelization in Tirana.

Speech delivered by the Bishop of Kruja, His Grace Anastasi, on the Feast of the Resurrection of Lazarus in the Church of the "Annunciation" in Tirana:

"Happy and Happy Birthday,

Especially those who celebrate today, the Resurrection of Lazarus.

I would like us to remember an episode from Today's Gospel as we leave Church today.

"Then when the Lord almost goes to the tomb of Lazarus and His Sister realizes that He wants to do what she did not think, to open His tomb, she says to him: He stinks now, because he has been in the tomb for 4 days."

And there the Evangelist tells us another fact: “Note that the Lord wept because he heard that his creature, whom he created from eternity, had died and was now rotting in the grave.”

And passing through Great Lent, which is also such a tear, with much less power than the tear of God. We have come today aware of the state we are in. After the fall into sin, of the corrupted nature of our condition, and we hope that God, before the tomb of Lazarus, will defeat death even in our Easter, Great Lent.

The Lord wept before His tomb, as man and as God, and this tear was the tear of the God-Man. He wept for His friend. It is a normal, human feeling. He also wept for Our condition, for His Creature, whom He created to be eternal to live in God's Paradise, according to Grace even today is in the tomb.

And then we hear the words that he says: “Lazarus, come out of the tomb”. And this is a testimony that gives us the certainty that the last word in history is not death, but God, who will raise Himself and take us as shown in the Icon of the Resurrection. We will all go to heaven, with Him, to God and us according to Grace, but this is not done without our repentance, it is not done without our effort, not because God cannot do it, because God does everything. But it is not done because we must love what we do. And today if you look at the Gospel that we read, God does not take immediate action. But he expects certain things from the people around him. He expects Lazarus' sister to say to him: “If you had been here, he would not have died”.

So, this is a proof that they believed in the Resurrection and He did not open the tomb stone Himself, as He could have done if He were God. But He waited for Those Who were There around to open it, because God created us according to His Image, according to His Likeness and this means that He created us Free.

And He does not condemn Our freedom. He is the first to create it and does not violate it. So, He wanted, He expects us to take the first step. We repent. We cry bitterly for Our Sins. And then there is no more room for evidence of despair.

It is certain that He who conquered death can conquer every sin that brought it on and take us with Him to Heaven.

So, in the time of Repentance, let us accompany the Lord tomorrow in Jerusalem and become part of his beliefs, for which we were the cause, because only in this way will we become worthy and celebrate with him His Resurrection. Happy and Prosperous. A Happy and Blessed Holy Week!” ./CNA