Light of the East 1124R (Pascha) Christ is Risen!

·27 min·2 clips

Fr. Thomas Loya reveals how Eastern Catholic liturgies and spirituality nourish the whole Church in unexpected ways.

The episode begins with Fr. Thomas Loya greeting listeners on Paschal Sunday, declaring 'Christ is risen' and explaining the greeting's use throughout the season. He frames the resurrection as the culmination of fasting and penance, restoring humanity's fallen nature and pointing toward eschatological destiny, referencing St. John Paul II's concepts of 'original man' and 'eschatological man.' Loya contrasts Western and Eastern liturgical traditions, noting the Latin Rite's Easter Vigil focuses on baptizing catechumens while Eastern churches emphasize Christ's descent into hell. He describes the Jerusalem Matins service on Holy Saturday, where liturgical texts dramatize the devil being outfoxed by Christ, who releases Old Testament righteous figures from captivity. Loya argues Holy Saturday is crucial because Christ's battle in hell, not just his death on the cross, achieves salvation. After a break, he returns to discuss the resurrection itself, citing church tradition that Christ first appeared to his mother Mary. He details the myrrh-bearing women's visit to the tomb, highlighting scriptural variations as evidence of authenticity. Loya explains Christ's appearance to women reverses Eve's role in original sin, with women tasked to bring the news to the apostles rather than the world. He describes Byzantine Paschal Matins, including a procession where a priest strikes closed church doors to symbolize the empty tomb, followed by explosive celebrations with hymns like 'Christ is risen from the dead.' The liturgy includes gospel readings in multiple languages, veneration of icons, and St. John Chrysostom's Paschal homily. The episode concludes with blessings of Paschal food baskets and promotional content for the program's supporters and archives.

As heard by us

A focused Paschal reflection on Holy Saturday, the descent into hell, and Eastern Christian worship.

Light of the East treats Holy Saturday as the quiet hinge of Pascha, centering the episode on Christ's descent into hell and the freeing of those held captive. Fr. Thomas J. Loya ties that theology to Jerusalem Matins and the Vespers with the Liturgy of St.

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You get a dramatic Holy Saturday meditation: Christ descends into hell, breaks its bonds, and releases the captives before Paschal Sunday dawns.

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