We are especially grateful this year in contrast to 2020 that we are able to gather for our Easter ceremonies, though with limited numbers due to Covid-19. In the midst of this time we call to mind the suffering and death of Jesus on the cross and how this reveals the depths of God’s love for us. The Lord has entered fully into our human condition and all that weighs us down. His death on the cross makes us aware that he is in solidarity with us in the events and experiences of our daily lives. He is also with us in the midst of our own sufferings, especially as a result of the pandemic.
It is through the resurrection of Jesus that his words and the deeds, and especially his death on the cross, that his life is vindicated. God’s eternal love that is shown to us in the death of Jesus is revealed even more fully in the new life of the Resurrection. Jesus continues to be alive for us now through these challenging times, to be a source of hope and strength. We are not so much remembering a past event, rather we are being made aware that the risen presence of the Lord continues to accompany us.
It is through our ordinary lives that we are invited to trust in the power of the risen presence in Christ. Whenever we are discouraged in our faith, or whatever might be happening around us, to make us question our place in the world, the risen Lord is being offered to us as a life-giving presence, so that we can each contribute to our world, becoming a more healing and unified community.
May the blessings of the risen Lord find a place in your hearts and come near to all of your families during this Easter time.
Fr Martin Ashe, Parish Priest
Photo source: https://www.lovethispic.com/image/247723/jesus-christ-our-lord-is-risen