Having entered the Christmas season, we ask those who find the work of the Mystagogy Resource Center beneficial to them to help us continue our work with a generous financial gift as you are able. As an incentive, we are offering the following booklet.

In 1909 the German philosopher Arthur Drews wrote a book called "The Myth of Christ", which New Testament scholar Bart D. Ehrman has called "arguably the most influential mythicist book ever produced," arguing that Jesus Christ never existed and was simply a myth influenced by more ancient myths. The reason this book was so influential was because Vladimir Lenin read it and was convinced that Jesus never existed, thus justifying his actions in promoting atheism and suppressing the Orthodox Church in the Soviet Union. Moreover, the ideologues of the Third Reich would go on to implement the views of Drews to create a new "Aryan religion," viewing Jesus as an Aryan figure fighting against Jewish materialism. 

Due to the tremendous influence of this book in his time, George Florovsky viewed the arguments presented therein as very weak and easily refutable, which led him to write a refutation of this text which was published in Russian by the YMCA Press in Paris in 1929. This apologetic brochure titled "Did Christ Live? Historical Evidence of Christ" was one of the first texts of his published to promote his Neopatristic Synthesis, bringing the patristic heritage to modern historical and cultural conditions. With the revival of these views among some in our time, this text is as relevant today as it was when it was written. 

Never before published in English, it is now available for anyone who donates at least $20 to the Mystagogy Resource Center upon request (please specify in your donation that you want the book). Thank you.



April 28, 2023

1961 Paschal Message of St. John Maximovitch


 Christ is Risen!

"Proclaim, O earth, the glad tidings of great joy, 
and ye heavens, praise the glory of God." 
 
"The Angel cried to the Lady full of grace: Rejoice, O pure Virgin!"

What kind of joy does the Archangel announce? About the one that the whole earth is called to evangelize. The Son of God, the Son of the Virgin, empties Himself, and therefore Gabriel preaches grace.

But now, on the day of the Annunciation, the Virgin weeps bitterly, seeing her Son crucified on the Cross. Where is the joy when the Son Himself cries out: “My God, My God, why have you forsaken Me?”

But joy is born out of that sorrow, the humiliation of the Son of Man is transformed into His Divine glory. The rays of the Sun of Truth, which had gone underground, had not yet faded, as the dawn of His Resurrection had already shone. Again an angel stands before the Virgin, again proclaims to Her - "Rejoice! Your Son is risen from the tomb," and not only is He risen, but also the dead are raised up from the tomb. Be glad O people!

For our sake, the Son of God was incarnated from the Virgin, for our salvation He tasted death on the Cross, descended into hades with his soul, and destroying it, rose from the dead.

Oh, how great is the wisdom of God, how incomprehensible are His ways! What seems mournful to us is the beginning of great joy, humiliation precedes glory, life shines from the grave, the mortal is clothed in the splendor of incorruption.

Let us all rejoice now, the good-hearted and the sad, the healthy and the sick, those who begin their lives on earth and leave it for eternity.

Now everything is filled with light, heaven, earth and hades. Christ is risen from the dead, trampling down death by death, and to those in the tombs bestowing life!

Christ is Risen!

Brussels-Paris, 1961

Source: Translated by John Sanidopoulos.
 
 

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