EASTER Sunday 20th April
Dear Parishioner,
‘Do not be afraid! I know that you are seeking Jesus the crucified.
He is not here, for he has been raised just as he said.’
We have arrived at our solemn celebration of the passion, death and Resurrection of Jesus.
This is where evil, sin and death are destroyed and new life is offered to all who come to the Saviour in faith. This is the heart of the Gospel message that the Church is to offer now to the human
race in every generation until the end of time. The Church gives so much solemnity and
importance to this celebration because Easter is worth it. Nothing ever has been and nothing
ever will be more glorious than the triumph of the Son of God over sin and death. Easter fills us
with awe and wonder. Through the death and Resurrection of Jesus, our lives are changed
forever. God’s glorious plan of salvation unfolds over time and then culminates with a glory
beyond our imagination. At times in life, we can become impatient with ourselves and with others. We suffer and struggle with the circumstances of life and we tend to want what we want and
to want it now. However, the lesson from the Scriptures is that God’s plan is not only perfect but
is also fulfilled in accord with God’s perfect timing. This all comes from God’s infinite wisdom;
a wisdom that we do not necessarily always comprehend. Nonetheless, if we participate in this
perfect plan of God in our lives, we are promised that we will share in the Resurrection of Christ,
both in eternity and in the immediate circumstances of our daily lives. As we celebrate the great
Solemnity of Easter, let us reflect upon the fact that God’s plan for our life and our world is
perfect. We know there is still suffering in our personal lives and in the wider world. There are
still so many threats to society and so many evils still afflicting all people. However, only this plan
of God can remove every sin, sorrow and suffering, and lead us to the fullness of joy as it inspires
and assists so many people to pray and work that God’s kingdom of love, justice and peace, can
already be established on earth, as it is in heaven. Let us believe in the promise of the Resurrection and make it our one and only hope in life, letting Jesus Christ lead us to his risen glory.
God Bless You, Fr Martin