Christ's Resurrection should not be celebrated as historical or social event, but as existential, which means that it should be a participation in the grace of the Resurrection. The fasting which precedes the feast during the whole of Lent, the ascetic struggle, aims at the bet participation in the mystery of the Resurrection. In order to be successful, however, this requires, as all the Holy Fathers teach, purification of the senses of both body and soul

So far we have seen the Resurrection of Christ was a cause of joy and gladness in men, since by it conquered the rule of death, the devil and sin. But we must stress the fact that Christ's Resurrection was also good for the Angels, all the noetic spirits.

One of Christ's appearances to His Disciples happened in the Sea of Tiberias, at the same time when they were fishing in the open water of the lake (St. John 21:1-14). The circumstances and the manner of His appearance will not be given, but some interesting points will be emphasized.

The Resurrection of the Lord is the regeneration of human nature. It is the resuscitation and recreation of the first Adam, whom sin led to death, and who because of death, again was made to retrace his steps on the earth from which he was made. The resurrection is the return to immortal life. Whereas no one saw that first man when he was created and given life--because no man existed yet at that time--a woman was the first person to see him after he had received the breath of life by Divine inbreathing. For after him, Eve was the first human being.

The question is what exactly do we mean when we speak about Hell and the descent of Christ into it. There are many passages in both the Old and New Testaments which refer to Hell. I shall not quote them all here, because the purpose is to present the teaching about the deadening and destruction of Hell.

The Resurrection of Christ is the greatest event in history. It is what distinguishes Christianity from every other religion. The other religions have mortal leaders, while the Head of the Church is the risen Christ. The Resurrection of Christ is the renewal of human nature, the recreation of the human race, the living eschatological reality. When we speak of the Resurrection, we do not separate it from the Cross, for the Cross and the Resurrection are the two poles of the redemptive experience, just as we pray in the Church, "through the Cross is joy come into all the world. Ever blessing the Lord, let us sing His Resurrection", or just as we sing "We venerate Thy Cross, O Master: and we glorify Thy Holy Resurrection."