Christ is risen. He is risen, indeed. Alleluia!
Last week, Holy Week, has been an exhausting week for Christian disciples as we have relived the trauma that culminated in the crucifixion and death of Jesus on Good Friday. Holy Saturday was a long day of mourning as Jesus rested in the sepulchre. Now on Easter Sunday we hear afresh, as if for the first time, the way in which Mark tells the story of the first Easter morning with stark simplicity. The women simply see that the stone has been rolled away and they meet a young man dressed in a white robe. They leave in fear. At the heart of the narrative stands the message of the empty tomb. The angelic messenger spells out the implications: ‘He has been raised; he is not here. Look, there is the place they laid him.’ The empty tomb points to the Easter message of new life.
For those of you who wanted to do some thinking and preparation for today’s service during the preceding week, I invited you to reflect on the image of spring flowers. Now on Easter Sunday spring flowers in our homes, in our churches, and in our cathedral, can shout aloud the message of new life and the message of new hope. In today’s picture, from his book The Sunny Morning, Teddy Horsley celebrates the new life of Easter by admiring the spring flowers.
Lord Jesus Christ,
you are risen, you are risen indeed, alleluia!
Lord Jesus Christ,
call all the nations of the world
to hear the good news of Easter,
to see the empty tomb,
and to share your risen life;
for you are risen, you are risen indeed, alleluia!
Amen.
Next Sunday, the Second Sunday of Easter, the Gospel reading focuses our attention on how, after the resurrection, Jesus met with his disciples, first when Thomas was not present, and again a week later when Thomas was present. The image to help us prepare for next Sunday’s theme is touching. You can find out more about that theme by looking at the Educational Resources and the Preparation Resources.
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Exploring the Sunday Gospel – Palm Sunday