Victory over death; life beyond the grave: the joyful message of Easter! But that does not mean losing a loved one is any easier when it happens. We still feel the void they leave behind. We still ache for their presence. We still long to hear their voice. We still yearn for their touch. Here’s an Easter prayer for the bereaved.
EASTER MONDAY
Mary stood beside the tomb, sobbing. As she wept, she peered again into the tomb and saw two angels clothed in white sitting where the body of Jesus had previously been lying, one at the head and the other at the feet. They asked her, ‘Woman, why are you crying?’ She answered, ‘They have taken away my Lord, and I have no idea where they have laid him.’ Having said this, she turned round and saw Jesus standing there.
John 20:11-14
Lord Jesus Christ,
I remember how, centuries ago,
your followers having laid your body in a tomb,
all seemed lost;
the past a misguided illusion,
the present devoid of meaning,
the future a barren wilderness.
Reach out to those who feel similarly hopeless today –
those who are bereaved,
those in the grip of depression,
those overwhelmed by disaster,
those in lands ravaged by war,
those hurt and abused,
those whose world has been torn apart.
Just as hope was to be reborn after the cross,
sorrow turning to joy,
despair to hope,
doubt to faith,
darkness to light
and death to life,
so may they find their lives transformed,
their situations changed beyond their wildest expectations,
filling them with renewed confidence,
restored trust
and rekindled expectations.
May this day be to everyone a reminder that,
however bleak things may seem,
however unpromising,
however irredeemable,
you are able to turn things around, making all things new.
Amen.