In her reflection last month Christina wrote about how early Easter is this year, and about not being ready! I’m sure we can all empathise with her as we seem to be “hurtling” through Lent on our way to Palm Sunday, Holy Week and Easter! Early or not, we do have the whole of this month to pre-pare and to get ready – it’s just up to us to make the most of the days and weeks in the best ways we can. People often speak about Lent as a time of “giving up” but increasingly I find that it is being seen more as a time of “taking on” – space for both perhaps?

There are, as Christina also mentioned last month, plenty of resources to help us with this (digital and physical), and time is something that all of us can and should think about more carefully, and prayerfully, during Lent and in the approach to Easter. And, as we read, think and talk about, and pray and reflect, on the events of those weeks leading up to Jesus’ death and resurrection, we are all I’m sure very conscious of the tragic and heartfelt events continuing to unfold in the Holy Land, affecting Jews, Christians and Muslims – all of us “children of Abraham” and all of us precious in God’s eyes. So many families across that region are affected by suffering and grief, and it is so important that we continue to hold them all in loving prayer, and to do what we can to alleviate suffering and to bring relief to those who are in such desperate need.

At Eastertide five years ago now I wrote about the terrible fire which had partially destroyed Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, and I’m sure we’ve all been aware of the painstaking repair, conservation, restoration and re-building work which has taken place over the last five years. Watching the incredible skill of the craftspeople involved, with their obvious love for the Cathedral and all it stands for, and their pride in their work, has been quite amazing and really uplifting. We were in Paris in the summer of 2019 and of course were unable to get anywhere near the Cathedral, which was completely shrouded in scaffolding – but this year, to the great joy of Parisians and the people of France, and across the world, that scaffolding will be dismantled and the beautiful and historic Cathedral properly open again and able to be visited. Out of such disaster.........

On a very personal note, Easter Day this year will be a very poignant time for me as it is the 12th anniversary of my mother’s death – but it will be in the joy of the resurrection that I will be remembering her and giving thanks for her long life and love.

“Alleluia! Christ is Risen! He is Risen indeed – Alleluia!

May God’s blessing and peace be upon you all this month, and especially, in advance, this coming joyful Eastertide – Happy Easter!

The Revd Alec Brown.