Remembrance and
Transformation
Easter 2025
The Most Revd Kay Goldsworthy AO DD, Archbishop
Memory is a powerful thing. It is the thread that weaves together the story of our lives, shaping our identity, linking us to our past, and influencing our future. Some memories fill us with warmth, bringing joy and comfort, while others remind us of pain, loss, and the hard-earned lessons that have shaped us.
A familiar melody, an old photograph, a fragrant scent, a scar on our skin, a family recipe, or even the weather – any of these can unlock the doors of memory, transporting us to moments that feel distant yet are suddenly close once again.
The Christian life, too, is filled with memories – memories that are not merely recollections of the past, but encounters with the crucified, risen and ascended Lord. Our Lenten journey began with the stark reminder: ‘Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return.’
A solemn acknowledgment of our mortality that set us on a path of reflection, repentance, and renewal, leading us towards the most sacred days of the Christian calendar; Easter and the astounding reminder of God’s powerful love – more powerful than death, bigger than ever could be imagined, and as intimate as every human being.
Unlike ordinary memories which transport us back to what was, the commemorations of the Church year bring past events into the present. In the liturgy, time itself bends. When we lift the palm branches in praise, when we kneel before the basin and towel in humble service, when we break the bread and share the cup, when we stand before the wood of the cross in solemn reverence, and when we finally proclaim with joy, ‘He is risen!’ – we do not simply recall ancient events. We enter into them anew, for they are not relics of history but living signs of what God continues to do for us in Christ.
As we now stand at the threshold of Holy Week, we do not merely observe a series of remembrances. We step into the mystery of Christ’s passion, death and resurrection as an ever-present reality. We are invited to walk with him, not as distant spectators, but as participants in his redeeming love. This is the heart of the Christian life: to live each day ‘as if Christ died yesterday, rose today, and will return tomorrow’ (Martin Luther).
May this Holy Week and Easter season be more than a remembrance for us; may it be a true encounter with the living Christ. May we allow the power of memory, not only to take us back, but to transform us in the present, shaping how we live, love, and hope in the days to come so that, whatever is taking place in a shaking world, ‘Alleluia’ will be our song of hope, love, faith.