Dear Friends,
I hope this Easter Greeting finds you all well and coping as best you can with the huge challenges this Covid-19 has brought into our lives, homes, and families. I would like to offer to all of you who work in the front-line services, a special word of encouragement and promise of place in my prayers at this difficult time as you go about your daily work.
As we enter into the ‘Easter Triduum’ let us do so with our hearts wide open to whatever God asks of us as we accompany him in these 3 days where we Celebrate his Passion, Death and Glorious Resurrection.
This is an Easter like no other for you and I. I believe that Jesus is teaching us something big time and is asking us first and foremost to trust in him. And this is not easy; Jesus never said it would be easy to be a disciple of his. As we only have to look at how hard his, own disciples found it to be faithful followers. Jesus never gave up on them and he is not going to give up on us, all he asks is for us to trust in him.
My friends, there are a couple of things I want you to do as you prepare for these Liturgical Celebrations.
• Dig deep into your own holiness and spiritual life.
• Open your heart to God’s will for you this Easter.
• How do I use these blockages that stand in our way of us coming together as a church community?
• What is God trying to teach us, this Easter and how can we be open to God will?
• What can I do that will make this Easter special for me? And my family?
This is a God given moment for us, to show him how we have managed in so many creative ways, that despite Covid-19 we have accompanied him at His Last Supper, Passion, Death and Resurrection.
When Easter Day arrives, allow yourselves to truly live in the Joy of Jesus Resurrection!
With my love and prayers to you and your families now and always
Fr John Martin
Parish Priest
Holy Cross and Our Lady of Perpetual Succour
Serving the Communities of Bestwood Hucknall and Bulwell