Easter at home amid COVID-19: a time of family, discipline, Jesus, church leaders say

Easter Sunday in Seychelles was a low key event this year amid COVID-19 with the faithful of the two main churches – Anglican and Catholic - following Easter mass on national television. 

 

Both churches called on their followers to find strength in the current difficult situation and to use the time to become closer as a family, as a nation, to Jesus and to find strength in the light of his resurrection.

 

“It's time for us as a person, family, nation and world, to turn our hearts back to Jesus, to pray and read our Bible every day in our family,” Archbishop of the Anglican Church James Wong said in his Easter message.

 

“During the season of Lent, the virus taught us many positive things: personal and familial discipline, national discipline, regional and world discipline. Maybe we don't need a vaccine, maybe we needed to take this time of isolation from the distractions of the world and to have a personal, familial and national revival where we focus on the ONLY person in the world that matters: Jesus,” said Wong.

 

Wiehe said that people should together with Jesus praise God and find love in him as he is God of life. (Genevieve Rene) Photo License: All Rights reserved

Wong added: “The virus has been instrumental in many ways to help us disciplining our lives during this Lenten season and it is time for us to move on after the confrontation of COVID-19 during which our old lifestyle was challenged.”

 

“Some of us have had our faith put to the test and have renewed our hope and trust in God. May all the good things and changes we have lived during these few last weeks, be carried on for God’s glory,” concluded the bishop.

 

And in the Easter mass aired from the cathedral of the Immaculate Conception Catholic bishop Denis Wiehe, said that even though the island nation is in a sad state because of COVID-19, where people are forced into home confinement, and where many are sick, “brothers and sisters on Easter we cannot be sad as we should rejoice.”

 

Religious services aired on national media were attended by a handful of people and all was done as per strict regulations from the Public Health Authority. (Genevieve Rene) Photo License: All Rights reserved

 Wiehe said that people should together with Jesus praise God and find love in him as he is God of life. “Christ risen gives us hope, through his resurrection he is giving us a new light, a new force so that we can face these difficulties and the sad times that we are currently living with this sickness going around the world.”

 

“We must be courageous and everywhere we must find strength in our faith, and in Christ’ resurrection, we must find special force and so that a new life can begin. We can surmount these difficulties with his grace and strength. A very happy Easter to you all!’ concluded the bishop.

 

During the past holy week, all Anglican and Catholic religious services were aired on national radio and television. (Sheila Montano) Photo License: All Rights reserved

During the past holy week, all Anglican and Catholic religious services were aired on national radio and television. These were prerecorded in different parishes in Seychelles - 115 islands in the western Indian Ocean. These were attended by a handful of people and all was done as per strict regulations from the Public Health Authority.