Wishing you a very happy Easter from Chichester Cathedral.
All are welcome to join our services on Easter Day, some of which are available online. Below, the Interim Dean of Chichester, The Reverend Canon Simon Holland shares a message on Easter Sunday.
"No one likes Monday mornings.
Most of us dread the start of a new working week. We long to be able to put the clock back to Friday and begin the weekend all over again.
Even retired people have told me that they never completely shake off that sinking feeling that Monday mornings bring.
So, it’s worth remembering that although Christ rose from the dead on a Sunday (which has, accordingly, become for us the Sabbath, the day of rest), it was in fact the first day of the week for the people of Jerusalem.
On the very day that people were going to work – wrapped up, no doubt, in thoughts and concerns much like our own - Christ broke the power of death and walked free from the tomb. He made the first day of the week his own.
As we once again celebrate Easter, we give thanks that Christ is with us, not just in our worship, but in all the challenges of our daily lives. By his victory over death he frees us from the power of those things that we dread. By his grace we can overcome every challenge we face.
Next time you suffer from Monday morning blues - next time you want to turn off the alarm clock and hide under the duvet - just remember those wonderful words with which the Easter story begins: ‘Early in the morning, on the first day of the week…’
We wish you all a very happy Easter."
Interim Dean of Chichester, The Reverend Canon Simon Holland