Over 2.2 billion Christian faithfuls across the world will on Sunday commemorate the resurrection of Jesus from the dead- this is commonly known as Easter, also called Pascha.
According to the New Testament Jesus’ resurrection occurred on the third day of his burial following his crucifixion by the Romans at Calvary c. 30 AD.
The Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby’s Easter letter to partners and heads of churches around the world noted that one of the tasks of Christians is surely to keep reminding people steadfastly of that horizon of hope, the risen Jesus.
“We ought all to walk together, whatever our traditions, towards that horizon, trusting in faith in the one who has gone before us. Our walking together, working in love and fellowship as did the early church in the days after Pentecost, is itself a sign of the power of God’s re-creation of humanity and of the world in the aftermath of the first Easter,” he said.
Go quickly and tell His disciples that He has risen from the dead; and behold, He is going ahead of you into Galilee, there you will see Him; behold, I have told you. (Matthew 28.7).
Meanwhile, Pope Francis on Holy Thursday went to the outskirts of Rome where he carried out the traditional rite of the washing of feet of twelve of the young people there.
He explained that his gesture of washing the feet of the twelve young people present is not just a folkloristic gesture, but a sign of how we should be with one another – helping each other, showing each other love and respect for the immense dignity of all, even in our weaknesses as sinners.
“If we adopt this attitude and spirit of service, he said, we could alleviate so many of the injustices in our world. He went on to remind us that being unemployed, in broken families, struggling to survive, succumbing to our weaknesses, is something that can happen to each one of us at any time,” he said.
