Weekly Reflections

Gospel Reflection for 12th April Easter Sunday
The Feast of the Resurrection of Our Lord from the dead

The Joy and New Life of the Resurrection

Today is Easter Sunday; today is the day of New Life and Resurrection. Sadly though, perhaps in our own families, parish, countries and certainly the wider world, people are facing and dealing with the effects and reality of the Corona virus. How do we experience and celebrate the new life, joy and resurrection when the news around is often the very opposite?

I realised over the last few days and weeks that I have taken so much for granted – going out when I wanted to, meeting friends for a meal and drink, going for a walk, shaking hands and embracing a family members, shopping with ease for what I wanted, not necessarily for what I needed. These last few weeks, I think we have all been stripped back not only to our own essentials but to what is fundamentally essential. We have been forced to think about what we truly value the most in our daily lives. Ironically, while the virus has driven us apart, it also at the time same time brought us together, hopefully nationally and globally. The virus does not recognise or respect borders and countries; it is does separate colour, race, creed or nationality – it treats us all equally. It its eyes, we are all the same.

So many different celebrations have been postponed and cancelled in recent weeks, weddings, funerals, birthdays (my own included!), Easter liturgies, major sports events and so much more. Where and how then on this Easter Sunday do celebrate given what is happening to and around us. Maybe we are being called to celebrate is smaller, quieter and more meaningful ways with families and those with whom we live. Maybe our Easter dinner won’t be as big as usual – can we be more grateful what we do have to eat? Can we take real pleasure and joy in the small things around us this day?

An Irish poet, Patrick Kavanagh said that God is in the bits and piece of every day. Perhaps now, more than ever, the resurrection can be celebrated in the bits and pieces of our everyday lives and more simpler ways. It would have been wonderful to gather in churches with our parish communities to celebrate Easter, but that was not to be, but this does not stop us of from celebrating the love, life and presence of God in our own homes around our table with our families. The church is not the building, we are the Church. We are the Body of Christ, wherever we are. As Jesus reminds us, ‘wherever two or three of you gather in my name, I am with you.’ The Risen Lord is with us this very day in our homes – we are not alone on this Easter Day.

Perhaps these days and weeks painful as they are offer us the chance to think about our lives, our home, our families and our brothers and sisters around the world. While we are united in our grief and uncertainty, let us also be untied in our hope, faith joy in the Risen Lord. Today, for what are you most thankful and grateful? Offer a prayer of gratitude to God from your heart this Easter Sunday for what you most treasure and value.

This day was made the Lord, we rejoice and are glad. Happy Easter.

-Br Michael Moore OMI

It was very early on the first day of the week and still dark, when Mary of Magdala came to the tomb. She saw that the stone had been moved away from the tomb and came running to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one Jesus loved. ‘They have taken the Lord out of the tomb’ she said ‘and we don’t know where they have put him.’

So Peter set out with the other disciple to go to the tomb. They ran together, but the other disciple, running faster than Peter, reached the tomb first; he bent down and saw the linen cloths lying on the ground, but did not go in. Simon Peter who was following now came up, went right into the tomb, saw the linen cloths on the ground, and also the cloth that had been over his head; this was not with the linen cloths but rolled up in a place by itself. Then the other disciple who had reached the tomb first also went in; he saw and he believed. Till this moment they had failed to understand the teaching of scripture, that he must rise from the dead.

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Weekly Reflections

Gospel Reflection for 12th April Easter Sunday
The Feast of the Resurrection of Our Lord from the dead

Gospel for April 12th Palm Sunday: John 20:1-9 ©

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