Holy Saturday
To watch a reflection on Holy Saturday by Rev'd Edith please click on the link - Holy Saturday Reflection
Easter Sunday
Here's a picture of a Lego Easter Garden made by one of our Sunday School children.
You can find links to Easter Sunday services from the Church of England tomorrow on our facebook page - just click on the following link - Leesfield Parish
Or if you're worshipping quietly at home - the readings and prayers for Easter Sunday are shown below.
Happy Easter to you all!
When we began Lent, in what seems another world –on Ash Wednesday – none of us can have imagined what much of Lent and Holy Week would be like. It has been, and continues to be, a struggle for everyone – isolation, loneliness, anxiety at many levels. However it has been heartening to see so many people rise to the challenge, to witness or hear about so many acts of kindness and generosity. In times like these even the smallest positive moment can make such a difference to someone’s day! I hope you have been able to find enough to nourish your spirit – whether that be televised services, the radio worship and the material we have managed to get to you on line or by snail mail. It is likely to be some time before we return to something resembling normality, but we will go on working together and looking forward to that day when we can gather again in our churches.
Meanwhile, it is Easter – Christ is Risen. Alleluia! Edith
John 20 11-18 11 Now Mary stood outside the tomb crying. As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb 12 and saw two angels in white, seated where Jesus’ body had been, one at the head and the other at the foot. 13 They asked her, “Woman, why are you crying?” “They have taken my Lord away,” she said, “and I don’t know where they have put him.” 14 At this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not realize that it was Jesus.15 He asked her, “Woman, why are you crying? Who is it you are looking for?” Thinking he was the gardener, she said, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will get him.” 16 Jesus said to her, “Mary.” She turned toward him and cried out in Aramaic, “Rabboni!” (which means “Teacher”). 17 Jesus said, “Do not hold on to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father. Go instead to my brothers and tell them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’” 18 Mary Magdalene went to the disciples with the news: “I have seen the Lord!” And she told them that he had said these things to her.
This is part of one of today’s readings. It follows the discovery, by two of the disciples, of the empty tomb. I have chosen this particular passage because I think it holds much for us at this time. Mary Magdalene was, along with all of Jesus’ other followers and friends, caught up in something huge, something overwhelming, something life changing. She was heartbroken at the death of Jesus, and the loss of his body must have felt like the last straw. At that moment, just as she’d reached rock bottom, Jesus turned to her and spoke her name. So here we have two pictures – the immense, the mysterious event that is at the heart of our faith and the deeply personal, the calling by name, that makes our faith real for each one of us – as we hear our Lord call us by our name. God has endless creative power to generate new things, to draw life out of death. Christ is risen. The green blade rises. There is the hope and promise that all will flourish, and that the spring of God’s kingdom will come. We continue to live through the darkness that is the pandemic, darkness that is different for each of us in our own circumstances, but God is with each of us, if we listen we will hear him call us by name. Easter demonstrates that there is resurrection.
Alleluia! Edith
Prayers
Lord of all life and power, who through the mighty resurrection of your Son overcame the old order of sin and death to make all things new in him: grant that we, being dead to sin and alive to you in Jesus Christ, may reign with him in glory; to whom with you and the Holy Spirit be praise and honour, glory and might, now and in all eternity.
Amen
Jesus, light of the world Bring the light and peace of your gospel to all nations, to our nation, to our community. Strengthen us all in these difficult times, and may the joy of your resurrection lighten all our lives.
Lord in your mercy Hear our prayer
Jesus, bread of life give food to the hungry, to all those who do not have enough to eat. We thank you for food banks and all who work in them and those who support them with donations.
Lord in your mercy Hear our prayer
Jesus, Good Shepherd who gave your life for the sheep, recover the straggler, bind up the injured, strengthen the sick, and lead the healthy and strong to new pastures. We pray for all those we know who are ill in body, mind or spirit.
Lord in your mercy Hear our prayer
Jesus, the resurrection and the life, We give you thanks for all who have lived and believed in you. especially for our own loved ones departed. Raise us with them to eternal life.
Lord in your mercy Hear our prayer
Blessing
The God of peace, who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the eternal covenant, make us perfect in every good work to do his will, working in us that which is well pleasing in his sight and the blessing of God Almighty the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit be among us and remain with us always.
Amen
