Archbishop Sebastian Francis Shaw’s special message for Easter 2021

“Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, with great joy and devotion we celebrate Christ’s resurrection.

The apostles and the early Catholic Church’s focal point was the birth of Christ our Lord, His suffering as the Son of Man, and finally His Resurrection. The Holy Bible tells us that at the time, the leaders of the church caused Jesus Christ great suffering. And together with the Romans they crucified Him. Not only did they inflict Him with excruciating pains they went so far as guarding the tomb in which He was buried.”

Quoting from the book of Luke 24:1-13:

On the first day of the week, at the first sign of dawn, they went to the tomb with the spices they had prepared. They found that the stone had been rolled away from the tomb, but on entering they could not find the body of the Lord Jesus.

As they stood there puzzled about this, two men in brilliant clothes suddenly appeared at their side. Terrified, the women bowed their heads to the ground. But the two said to them, ‘Why look among the dead for someone who is alive?

He is not here; he has risen. Remember what he told you when he was still in Galilee: that the Son of man was destined to be handed over into the power of sinful men and be crucified, and rise again on the third day. And they remembered his words. And they returned from the tomb and told all this to the Eleven and to all the others. The women were Mary of Magdala, Joanna, and Mary the mother of James. And the other women with them also told the apostles but this story of theirs seemed pure nonsense, and they did not believe them.

Peter, however, went off to the tomb, running. He bent down and looked in and saw the linen cloths but nothing else; he then went back home, amazed at what had happened.

Christ’s Resurrection is proclaimed three times in the Holy Bible. First, the Angel’s declaration to the women of the group. Secondly, through the empty tomb. And last of all when Jesus Christ reveals himself to the women and His apostles.

Let us then pray together for the sufferings of the entire world. Most important of all that God delivers us from the afflictions caused by Covid-19.

He continued, “Dear all, it is symbolic to us even today when Christ rose from the tomb. As we too are held captive in the tomb of anger. Encapsulated in the graves of hate, revenge and dominating others. Let us forgo such feelings and arise from these graves. We pray that God gives us the strength to overcome these feelings and deliver us from the grips of Covid-19 Amen.”