He is Risen. Alleluia.
‘Christ is alive! He is our hope, and in a wonderful way he brings youth to our world.
Everything he touches becomes young, new, full of life … Christ is alive and he wants you to
be alive! He is in you, he is with you and he never abandons you.’ On this Easter morning take
a moment to recognise and appreciate all the signs of hope and new life around us: light …
water … flowers … eggs … baptism memories and photos … one another!
Pope Francis Easter Address 2019
As you listen to ‘Christ is Risen, Alleluia’ remember the words ‘”For I remember it is Easter morn,
And life and love and peace are all new born.”– Alice Freeman Palmer (1855-1902),
Easter Sunday
Gospel reading: John 20:1-9
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 it.
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.
Reflection
‘There is no need to be so amazed. You are looking for Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified:
he has risen, he is not here.’ These words bring us to the deepest truth of our faith. In Jesus’
passage from death to life, we are redeemed, we are saved, we are given the promise of
fullness of life in God. Through our baptism and our belief in the resurrection, our fears, our
doubts, our lives are transformed. Easter faith invites us to welcome the gift of this
transformation into the core of our being. On this day we can begin again. Yet we can only
do this by welcoming the risen Lord, Christ who is our guiding light, into our lives. As Pope
Francis reminds us ‘We are not self-sufficient; by ourselves we flounder: we need the Lord,
like ancient navigators needed the stars’. (Words from Urbi et Orbi blessing on 27th March
2020). On this day we proclaim Christ as our morning star who never sets, our light and
our way who guides us along the true path.
Source; The Dioceses of Clonfert, Elphin and Kildare and Leighlin
A Prayer on Easter Sunday
Light a candle and pause for a few moments to become aware of God’s presence. Make the Sign of the Cross, as you
pray:
Lord of all life,
You are our hope and our joy, our source of true happiness.
We have journeyed to Easter and in the most difficult of trials
we have renewed our baptism and proclaimed your resurrection.
We embrace with gladness the new life to which you call each one of us.
Bless us, our families and all the world, with your constant presence and protection.
May we give you thanks every day and share the good news of our faith with all we meet.
And may the light of our Easter faith guide our footsteps in your ways of love, peace and
truth. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.
In Easter joy we proclaim, Christ is risen! Alleluia, alleluia
From all in Ballygall May all the joys of Easter be yours! Alleluia and enjoy the Eggs!