Easter Vigil, 19th of April, 2025
During this Jubilee Year of Hope, 2025 we have been seeking and searching for hope in many ways. Someone described it as being like birds foraging for worms in the grass after a decent fall of rain like we’ve had over the past couple of days. One could say that hope is very scarce in our world if you listen to the news every day.
Hope of the Resurrection
What we celebrate this night is at the heart of the greatest hope we could imagine. Life out of death. Light out of darkness. Abundance of water from drought.
As Easter people, believers in the good news of the Resurrection we are people of hope and joy!
So what might prevent us leaving here tonight as jubilant as Rory McElroy wining the Masters this week?
Don’t rush the Resurrection…!
I recall 4 years ago during Covid when restrictions were all round – a group of creative, pastoral and prayerful people put together stations of the cross in the shop windows of the town all the way from the Poor Clares to here. The 14 traditional stations were included but an extra number 15 was added to signify the Resurrection.
Each window had a meditative reflection and the thought on the Resurrection was a message from retired Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams. His advice was not to rush into the resurrection after the efforts of the past few days. It might take a while for the joy and hope to settle in after the sadness of the death and loss of Jesus.
What a journey it has been from Sunday last, the triumphal entry to the betrayal, the last supper, the journey of the cross, the crucifixion and the long wait this past day, Holy Saturday.
It may take a while for that hope and joy, like the little seed in the ground or the buds enjoying the sustenance of the rain of the past days to flower and take hold.
Sad time around…
We all experience moments of dying in our lives.
We get a foretaste of death
- when we live in bitterness,
- when prejudice blinds us,
- when loneliness enfolds us,
- when fears oppress us,
- when sadness overwhelms us,
- and when we give in to despair.
In those moments the world is closing in on us, and we have one foot in the grave already.
Good times…
But we also experience, sometimes not consciously moments of resurrection in our lives;
- when we know true love,
- when we are accepted,
- when we are forgiven,
- when we open-our hearts to our neighbour,
- and when hope returns.
In those moments our horizon is widening, and we are emerging from the tomb and subliminally little snippets of joy and hope are under the surface.
Small, yet significant, inobtrusive and welcome moments of resurrection, sometimes, maybe often in disguise… and not appreciated or acknowledged.
Easter Reflection
And so I pray – God of life,
You roll away the heavy stone of suffering and death from our lives
and call us out of our tombs toward the light and hope of resurrection.
Lift the weight of the hard and painful times of our lives and light our path toward the goodness and freedom that lie ahead.
We thank you for walking with us on our Lenten journey and we praise you for once again bringing new life out of death.
Like the women at the tomb on Easter morning, make us faithful witnesses of the resurrection and let the balance of hope far outweigh the moments of despair and darkness in our lives. Amen.