Living with Strength and Kindliness
Finding Easter amongst all those baskets and bunnies!
We can often get lost trying to understand what it is that we are celebrating at Easter time!
I think it was actually Boxing Day, or not very far after that, walking though the supermarket aisles, that we started to see plenty of reminders that Easter is coming. What isn’t so obvious though is that for Christians, Easter is the most important part of the liturgical year and is the most significant event in our faith.
Easter is the central celebration in Christian religions. The Easter holidays incorporate all the important days that cover the story of Jesus death; from Palm Sunday (Sunday of the Week before) to The Last Supper (Thursday night) to Jesus’ crucifixion (Good Friday) and then to His Resurrection from the dead on the third day (Easter Sunday).
So, how amidst all the bunnies and baskets can we make some connections for both ourselves and our children? In fact, bunnies, eggs, baskets and more can become tools that parents can use to bring a greater understanding of the message of Easter. With just a little creativity, all these symbols that often replace the real significance of Easter can be the very things that can work as tools to make connections for young people, when trying to grasp what is at times a difficult and confusing story.
In my reading this week I came across this and I really liked it. It might be more suitable for a younger audience but the lessons can be learnt by a person of any age. Let’s call it:
Understanding Jesus by talking about what a real Easter Bunny is…
Real Easter bunnies:
- are white as snow because Jesus takes all sin away (Isaiah 1:18b).
- are gentle, kind-hearted and forgiving (Ephesians 4:32).
- have big ears that are quick to listen (James 1:19).
- have big eyes to look carefully and choose what is good (1 Thessalonians 5:21).
- have no voice for complaining or arguing (Philippians 2:13).
- are quiet in prayer, but hop with gratitude and joy (Philippians 4:4-6).
- have big feet to go tell others about Jesus so they can be like Easter bunnies, too (Matthew 28: 19-20).
- eat what is healthy and good by filling up on God's word (Psalm 119:11) and looking to ensure that the eggs that the purchase at Easter time are ethically and sustainably sourced.
I thought some of these ideas might look good on a gift card, attached to an egg, it might just be a simple way to make the meaning of the gift a little more obvious!
I hope you enjoy your holidays, and your time with family and loved ones.
Happy Easter Everyone!
Kirrilee Westblade
Catholic Identity Leader
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