Easter Greeting from the EYCE Executive Committee
Dear Friends, Greetings from EYCE and the Executive Committee! We hope this Easter Greeting finds you well, as we just entered Holy Week, waiting to celebrate the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. Behind us are the weeks of Lent that we have experienced as a time of reflection and contemplation on the Scriptures.
Let me take you to a story that happened many years ago and that you might be familiar with. It is the story of the disciples at Emmaus who meet Jesus after his resurrection. Jesus joins them on their way to Emmaus and they tell him what has happened in Jerusalem three days before. During this time they do not recognise Jesus, as the one who is walking with them. The disciples are deeply troubled by the death of Jesus, because they had hoped he would be the one to redeem Israel. However, in this difficult time, they are not breaking apart from each other, but remain together and share their worries with each other.
So they draw near to the village to which they were going. He acted as if he was going farther, but they urged him strongly, saying, “Stay with us, for it is toward evening and the day is now far spent.” So he went in to stay with them. When he was at table with them, he took the bread and blessed and broke it and gave it to them. And their eyes were opened, and they recognised him. And he vanished from their sight.
(Luke 24, 28-31 ESV)
Jesus reveals himself to the two disciples by breaking the bread with them and sharing it with them. Breaking the bread shows the disciples that Jesus’ story with them did not come to an end with his death, but is beginning anew with his resurrection. The sign of this new beginning is the broken and shared bread that brings the disciples of Christ to one table. Throughout Holy Week, we will come together to Christ’s table to share his bread with each other. On Maundy Thursday and especially on Easter Sunday the sharing of Christ’s bread is the celebration of life and grace.
There are many traditions of baking special breads for Easter in various European countries. Probably, many of you will either bake an Easter bread or a bun yourself and/ or share it with your families. Often, these Easter breads have crosses on the top to remind us of the death, resurrection and our story with Jesus Christ, our Lord continuing through this death and resurrection.
On behalf of EYCE, I wish you that you will be able to share the bread of Christ this Easter within your communities, but also to remember your sisters and brothers in other parts of Europe, who celebrate Jesus resurrection, too.
May we be united by our belief in Jesus Christ and share our lives on the way toward the time we meet our Lord.
Let me wish you a blessed and happy Easter with your families and friends, wherever you may celebrate these joyous days!
Yours in Christ,
Catharina Covolo
EYCE Vice-Chairperson