Notes from Yukiko’s Desk

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,

Welcome to Easter! We stand on the brink of the Great "Three Days", a service of worship in three parts beginning tonight with Maundy Thursday, continuing through tomorrow's Good Friday observance, and culminating in our community celebration of the resurrection on the morning of Easter Day. I look forward to keeping watch with you through this Easter journey, for as much of it as you are able to attend.

2 April Maundy Thursday (@Holy Cross)

6:30 pm Soup and Bread meal

7.30pm Maundy Thursday service (contemplative, Eucharist)

3 April Good Friday

Combined denominational Easter Walk, begins from Holy Cross at 9: 30am and finishes at Albany Presbyterian Church.

If you prefer not to walk there, you can take your car. We will have hot cross buns and drink after the service.

5 April Easter Sunday

9:00 am St. Michael’s, 10:30 Holy Cross

On this Sunday, Easter activity packages for children are available at both Albany and Greenhithe. If you have large flowers in your garden, please bring them to decorate the Easter Cross. They need to be able to have enough stem to be woven into the netting and greenery on the cross and stay on when the cross is lifted.Easter Sunday 05 04 2026 Year A

A couple of features in traditional Easter service I would like to include this Sunday.

Easter Bell: On Easter, church bells are often rung 15  times, symbolizing the 12 apostles, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

Paschal Candle (Holy Cross): Made of beeswax to represent the purity of Christ, the candle’s wick signifies Christ’s humanity, and the flame His Divine Nature. Five nails are pressed into the Candle which represent the five wounds Jesus bore for our sins. Paschal candle is blessed and lit every year at Easter and is used throughout the Paschal season which is during Easter and then throughout the year on special occasions, such as baptisms and funerals. It is exciting that this year we have a new beeswax one!

The Flowering of the Cross is an especially striking and beautiful way to symbolize the new life that emerges from Jesus’s death on Good Friday. At both Holy Cross and St. Michael’s we will present our prayers by decorating the cross with flower. You can bring flowers from your garden, or you can place flowers from the bucket provided by the Flower Guild.

Dismissal: From Easter Day through the Day of Pentecost,

“Alleluia! Alleluia!” is added to the dismissal and to the people’s response.

As we journey through our most Holy Week together, let us pray that the journey will lead us all to the peace and joy of Easter.

Kia tau te rangimārie,

Yukiko

  
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