Easter is a time to celebrate that the Risen Christ lives among us. We are an Easter people, and like the disciples on that first Easter morning, we continue to find God present in surprising and unexpected places.

Recently I was in a small group sharing on the theme of respect. One participant, a Christian, shared how he had walked the journey with his fellow co-worker, a Muslim, through the month of Ramadan. Opening himself to this experience expanded his appreciation and understanding of another faith tradition and enriched his own faith. Like the disciples on the road to Emmaus, the God of surprises journeyed with him through this encounter. His sharing moved me, and I felt the joy of Easter in my heart.

In the gospel accounts of the journey through Good Friday, Holy Saturday to Easter Sunday, we hear once again the invitation to be Pilgrims of Hope. We find ourselves moving from darkness to light, sorrow to joy, disbelief to new beginnings. Here in the midst of the realities of life, Easter fills us with hope. In the face of adversity, the Paschal journey teaches us that against all odds, the human spirit continues to rise. We see this evidence amid the destructive power of the earthquake in Myanmar, as rescuers rejoice when they find yet another person alive in the rubble.

Christ is risen, the light has dawned, and hope is born anew. Celebrating Easter in this Year of Jubilee urges us respond to the call to be Pilgrims of Hope in a world where pain and suffering, war and terror, poverty and hunger abound. Amid all these realities the human spirit, the spirit of Easter hope endures against all odds to rise and shine.

Like the disciples of the first Easter, we are being called to walk together into the joy of Easter, to know that in pain and suffering, doubt and sadness, failure and defeat, the Risen Jesus walks with us.

As we light the Easter candle, we are reminded that we are called to be people of hope bringing light amidst the darkness and suffering of our world, through simple acts of kindness, encouragement and generosity. We are invited to carry the Easter light in our hearts, keeping alive the song of hope that is deep within us.

Let us journey forth in this Easter Season knowing that hope sustains in times of adversity, love surrounds all of life, and new beginnings are always possible.

Go in the joy of the Easter to nurture seeds of hope. May the peace and joy of Easter fill your hearts as we celebrate this great feast of the Risen Christ.

 Sr Monica Cavanagh
Congregational Leader

You’re invited to view reflections for Holy Thursday, Good Friday and Easter Sunday here.