Easter messages
Last weekend, on Easter Sunday, we were lucky enough to have our Mass celebrated by Bishop Mark. Of the points that were emphacised during the service, one was a recurrent theme focussing on Christ’s love for us all. The Bishop reminded us that Christ knows us intimately; He knows every facet and elment of our life. He know all our sucesses, failures, weakness and abilities. He know where we have transgressed, our sins, and where we haved failed to love one another. Yet, he reminded us all, that Christ still loves us infinitely; despite those failures, sins and transgressions. In the words recalled ‘God so loved the world that he sent his only son to die on the cross for our transgressions’. He encouraged us, on a number of occasions, to Come to Christ and engage with his love.
He continued that the cross is a sign of victory, of Christ’s eternal love for his people, of the new covenant he established with his people.
Many of these themes were also found in Pope Leo’s address, in Rome, for Easter Day. Known as the “Urbi et Orbi” (to the City and the Words) message he proclaimed the Resurrection of Christ as the heart of Christian faith and hope. He reminded us at Easter we celebrate the victory of life over death, light over darkness, and love over hatred — a victory won through Christ’s suffering, sacrifice, and total self‑giving on the cross.
The Pope reflected especially on the nature of true strength. He explained that Christ’s Resurrection revealed a power that was not violent or dominating, but rooted in love, forgiveness, and trust in the Father’s will. Using simple and striking images, he described this power as one that worked quietly, like a seed growing unseen, or a wounded heart choosing compassion rather than revenge.
In addressing the wider world, Pope Leo spoke of the many forms of violence, division, and indifference shaping human society. Without naming specific conflicts, he appealed for a renewed commitment to dialogue, reconciliation, and peace. He urged individuals and nations to reject self‑interest and to seek the common good, insisting that lasting peace could not be imposed by force.
The Pope concluded with a message of hope, affirming that Christ’s Resurrection marked the beginning of a new humanity. He called on all people to recognise one another as brothers and sisters, and to allow the joy and promise of Easter to shape daily life and the future of the world.
Closer to home, in Canterbury, Archbishop Sarah Mullally reflected in her first Easter messgae on the Resurrection as an event that began “while it was still dark”. She reminded the congregation that before the stone was rolled away and before the disciples understood what had happened, God’s work of new life was already underway. Easter, she suggested, does not begin with certainty or clarity, but with faithful presence in the darkness.
Drawing on the figure of Mary Magdalene, the Archbishop spoke of the courage to remain at the tomb when others fled. Mary’s waiting, weeping, and searching were presented not as weakness, but as a deep act of worship and trust. The Archbishop reassured those who struggle with doubt, grief, or unanswered questions that they do not need clear answers in order to stay close to God.
She also connected the Gospel story to the ordinary life of the world, highlighting the unseen work that continues through the night: nurses caring for patients, carers sitting with the dying, parents watching over children, and emergency services standing ready. This quiet faithfulness, she said, forms the hidden framework that sustains society and mirrors God’s work of resurrection.
The sermon concluded with a call to prayer for peace in a world marked by violence and division. Archbishop Sarah encouraged believers to trust that Christ is present in every darkness, and that resurrection life is already beginning, even when hope seems hard to see.
As we approach the first or seven Sundays in Eastertide, we are reminded that ‘We are an Easter people and alleluia is our song’ and our celebration of the Risen Christ has only just started.
