I must confess that there are a few things in my life where I have felt that I have arrived late to the party (so to speak). Now, I realise that this first example will be lost on some younger readers, but, in the late 90s, there was great alarm and panic around the business and computing world. The ‘Y2K’ or ‘Millennium Bug’ phenomenon caused widespread concern leading up to the year 2000.
The fear was that when 2000 arrived, those systems might interpret ‘00’ as 1900, leading to errors. All sorts of doomsday scenarios were envisaged, including potential disruptions to the electricity supply, telecommunications outages, failure of life-saving hospital equipment, the traffic lights stopping working at one second past midnight, aeroplanes dropping from the sky, and all elevators stopping at midnight!
To combat this, IT consultants were paid incredible sums of money to check out potential problems before they happened, and I seem to recall that most people working in IT were at their place of work on New Year’s Eve, 1999. So – guess when I decided to commence my career in IT? March 2000. I missed the boat, and, for a time, I thought, ‘If only I had done this sooner.’
I also came late to the party when it came to being a Christian. For many years I had been interested in all things Eastern – Buddhism, Sidha, yoga – you name it, I was going to be ABC: Anything but Christian! I came to our local church at the time, in my forties, kicking and screaming. I had previously refused point blank to enter a church, knowing full well as I did that ‘they’ were all a bunch of hypocrites, who would smile at you on a Sunday and then pinch your parking space on a Monday! I was wrong, of course.
But coming late to the ‘church’ party has been an advantage, and one of those advantages was discovering or rather re-discovering Easter. Easter suddenly took on a new and more beautiful meaning. It wasn’t about the chocolate eggs or the Easter Bunny or a long weekend, it was actually about hope.
Hope feels particularly relevant today, with the world events we are witnessing. As spring approaches, we prepare to celebrate the ultimate victory of hope over despair.
This Easter, I invite you to join us on a journey through Holy Week. We begin with Maundy Thursday 10.30 am service, a time of quiet reflection on Jesus’s act of humble service. Good Friday follows, a day of solemn remembrance, as we contemplate the meaning of sacrifice. And then, Easter Sunday! The bells of Luz church will ring out with a joyous proclamation: He is risen!
For Christians, Easter is the very heart of our faith. It’s more than just a holiday; it’s a testament to the enduring power of love and the promise of new life. Yes, we’ll have our Easter egg hunt after the 11.30 am service, a delightful tradition that brings smiles to faces young and old. But beyond the chocolate, there’s a more profound message.
In a world that often feels uncertain, Easter offers a beacon of hope. It reminds us that even in the darkest of times, light will prevail. And here, in the welcoming community of Praia da Luz, we celebrate that light together. Whether you’re a long-time resident or a visitor, you’re invited to experience the true spirit of Easter with us. Let’s share in the joy, the hope, and the renewed sense of community this special season brings.
Blessings to you and your family this Easter
Fr Rob
