In an age marked by division, exile, and heresy, St. Athanasius of Alexandria lifted his voice not merely to defend the faith, but to lead the Church into the joy of our Lord. The Festal Letters—written annually to announce the date of Pascha—are far more than calendrical notices. They are theological exhortations, ascetical reflections, and pastoral appeals to remain steadfast in worship and doctrine. In these letters, the Feast is not a date to be observed, but a mystery to be lived. Saint Athanasius invites the faithful to embrace "a blessing instead of a curse, joy instead of grief, and a feast instead of mourning" (Letter II.15), calling each soul to prayer, fasting, thanksgiving, and the imitation of Christ. This new edition presents the letters in fresh, ecclesiastically faithful English, preserving their theological clarity and pastoral warmth for a new generation of readers-clergy, scholars, monastics, and all who long to celebrate the Feast in truth and power. We are grateful to God for such nourishment of the soul (cf. Letter IV.6), such that we also may be able to celebrate the Feast in Spirit and Truth.
In an age marked by division, exile, and heresy, St. Athanasius of Alexandria lifted his voice not merely to defend the faith, but to lead the Church into the joy of our Lord. The Festal Letters—written annually to announce the date of Pascha—are far more than calendrical notices. They are theological exhortations, ascetical reflections, and pastoral appeals to remain steadfast in worship and doctrine. In these letters, the Feast is not a date to be observed, but a mystery to be lived. Saint Athanasius invites the faithful to embrace "a blessing instead of a curse, joy instead of grief, and a feast instead of mourning" (Letter II.15), calling each soul to prayer, fasting, thanksgiving, and the imitation of Christ. This new edition presents the letters in fresh, ecclesiastically faithful English, preserving their theological clarity and pastoral warmth for a new generation of readers-clergy, scholars, monastics, and all who long to celebrate the Feast in truth and power. We are grateful to God for such nourishment of the soul (cf. Letter IV.6), such that we also may be able to celebrate the Feast in Spirit and Truth.
