A Happy Easter to you all.
I always find it difficult to wish people a ‘Happy Easter’ whilst still in Lent. My mother was always so careful to ensure no Easter Card would arrive in the post on or before Good Friday and of course no Easter Egg was to be broken open until Easter Day. Then the egg was only to be eaten a little at a time so that the joy of Easter could last as long as possible.
The traditions of our childhood are often difficult to break and in this consumer world I wonder if we need to take a step back at times and give way to our memories. Perhaps thinking of those times when things were not as readily available for many of us, perhaps reflecting on times spent listening to the radio and reading books when we had to imagine and create the characters and not rely on someone else’s interpretation. Those characters in many ways became so much more real and personal and often lived with us in ways that the screen images fail to do.
For many of us in Europe there are particular local Holy Week and Easter ceremonies and processions, each very different yet with that special message that Jesus lived, died and rose again for each and every one of us. I still remember as a child that special feeling and smell about the church on Easter Day when the building was full of daffodils and primroses, the pews and brass beautifully polished and everyone singing that word that was so difficult to pronounce – Alleluia! And then they were all so happy wishing everyone ‘Happy Easter’ outside the church instead of walking home as usual. I knew than that Easter Day was very special!
I hope that you will all have had a good Lent and been able to share in our Lord’s Passion so that the joy of Easter will continue to fill you with hope and praise. What a wonderful gift we were given that first Easter – let us all really discover and celebrate!
Will love and Easter blessings.
FAITH & POLICY WATCH
Faith & Policy Watch is our monthly social policy newsletter. Through the newsletter, we highlight social policy issues as they relate to our faith, looking at a whole range of issues from UK Government legislation and developments in the Church, to what’s happening at the international level.
Faith & Policy Watch is a great way for members to keep up to date with social policy activities in other dioceses, as well as the work at Mary Sumner House. Many articles give ideas and suggestions for action and you can use the newsletter to inspire your own social policy work or to support the work of others in prayer. Faith & Policy Watch is available to download on the MU main website- http://www.themothersunion.org/policywatch.aspx
WAVE OF PRAYER
At a recent conference, looking at the future of the Mothers’ Union, we were asked to think of Mothers’ Union as a movement rather than an organisation – something that is ever moving and evolving and not static. I was so delighted that Bishop Geoffrey felt it right at this particular time to become a member and, using his imagery, let us try to ensure we can put life and colour into the image of the Mothers’ Union so we can move forward with vision and hope. Next year the theme will be ‘Your Gift? Discover and Celebrate!’ with resource material already available on the Mothers Union website and I am sure there will be something for everyone. We will be keeping that theme for our Wave of Prayer in January (Jan 11 -15).
Mothers’ Union’s response to the Bailey Review:
Click on the article in the right hand column “Letting Children be Children” »»
