Homily for Easter 2021
We gather tonight/today to celebrate Easter, and during Lent and this Holy week, we have followed closely the Lord, from the desert fast, the entrance into Jerusalem, the events of the Upper Room, His Passion and crucifixion, death and burial and we have done this to the best of our ability in remembrance of Him.
But now we must change our garments from those of mourning to those of celebration, because we are the Easter People and Alleluia is our song!
Today the Lord opens our eyes, he whispers in our ears, and calls us by our names, just as he did to Mary in the Garden, for we are his sisters and brothers. He reveals to us a hope that nothing in this world can better: that He is alive, he is with us always to the end of time and that is why we are the Easter People and Alleluia is our song!
We have a hope that the world will become a better place, with the earth cared for and loved back into the fullness of life. We have a hope that poverty will be challenged, the homeless welcomed, that all people will be respected for who they are that no one will be left out, because we are the Easter People and Alleluia is our song!
We are wise to know that life will not change overnight, we will still have to cope with the ins and outs of life, sadness and happiness will be life’s twins, difficulties and successes will come, the Cross will have to be carried and at times our tears will be swapped for laughter, our dumb days for brighter ones, because we are the Easter People and Alleluia is our song!
We believe that all the kindness, generosity, courage, sacrifice and selflessness that we have witnessed during the Pandemic, will not be lost but be an inspiration for the coming years, reminding us of what we can achieve when we work together and not against each other, because we are the Easter People and Alleluia is our song!
We place the sick both physical and mental at the heart of our prayer; we pray for those who feel broken by loneliness, age or trauma; we commend those who are fragile at this time or haunted by addiction that hope and healing will come to them because we are the Easter People and Alleluia is our song!
We have an expectation that Nations will speak words of Peace to each other rather than words of hate; that working together for healing and education and fair working conditions will be the norm rather than the building up of ever increasing numbers of devastating weapons because we are the Easter People and Alleluia is our song!
We know our weakness, we know we fail, we know we are sinners, but we also know that Jesus, the Good Shepherd never stops looking for us when we stray, that is why we ask for the gift of perseverance and we cannot help but pray for those who have wandered away from the faith that they will find their way home because we are the Easter People and Alleluia is our song!
It is wonderful to be together today/tonight, but we are still sad that the Pandemic rules mean we cannot just throw our doors open to everyone who would normally join with us. But we have a hope that before long, when the vaccination programme is completed and people’s confidence begins to grow they will find a warm welcome not only here but in all the Churches of Burnage for together we are the Easter People and Alleluia is our song!
mjk