Archbishop Eamon Martin, Archbishop of Armagh, Apostolic Administrator of the Diocese of Dromore and Primate of All Ireland, has issued his Easter 2020 message to the people of Ireland.
At the beginning of his letter, Archbishop Eamon recalls a childhood memory. His mother would leave a basin of water out in the garden on a sunny Easter morning and invite him and his siblings to look in and watch the sun dance. “It’s the kind of message of joy and hope that we all need during these difficult days”, he says.
The Archbishop explains how Easter begins in sorrow and darkness but ends in hope, “The disciples were hidden away behind locked doors, isolated and feeling alone, fearing for their lives. But when Christ rose from the dead he brought back the light of hope into the darkness of despair.
“Easter reminds us that, as Pope Francis keeps saying, we must never let ourselves be ‘robbed of hope’. As the children’s hymn joyfully puts it:
‘They buried my body
And they thought I’d gone,
But I am the Dance,
And I still go on.
Dance, then, wherever you may be, I am the Lord of the Dance, said he’.”
Archbishop Martin invites the faithful to use these difficult times to reflect and grow. He asks, “What is this crisis teaching us about ourselves and others, about faith and hope, about the importance of caring and loving, of living simpler lives and managing our expectations? In a strange way these days of seclusion have been helping us stop and think about what we value and perhaps even question some of the ways we have been living our lives.”
Archbishop Martin concludes, “An old medieval carol about the life of Jesus promises that ‘Tomorrow shall be my dancing day’. We still have a long way to go in the fight against Covid-19 and its consequences. There will be many more sacrifices to make before this is all over. But as surely as Christ rose on Easter morning, we will come through this, hopefully as better people, strengthened by the experience.
“A very happy Easter to you all, and to our loved ones and friends across the world this Easter time.”
To read the full Easter message, click here.
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