My Easter Message

No I'm not the Pope but I am one person trying to pass off my Easter message to others that has been inspired by the new Pope and St. Mary (MacKillop) of the Cross. Easter is my most favourite time in the Church year. Sometimes we forget Easter is just as much about giving as Christmas is. Traditionally we think of it as a time of giving away something (usually something material for a short period of our lives) but it is about much more than that.

This Easter - nine years after I made my step to become Catholic at the Saturday Vigil in Ballarat going through all three Sacraments of Initiation - I am sitting in my house in a remote town of the Northern Territory, Wadeye. I have 4 days to contemplate the meaning of Easter and usually it's really hard to find things to do here in any spare time because there is not much to do by others standards. This could be a cause to complain or it could simply be a great opportunity to search out and find more people out there in the world helping others and their stories. So while I have a lot of time up my sleeve and no where to spend the hard earned cash I earn while working in the school here I have began thinking about ways of using it. I'm not much of a spender on myself and after a few weeks of online shopping I'm actually over it. So I am going to give this money to some great causes - 'sparing a thought for those who need it'.

I will also volunteer my time at the Women's Centre here for a few days. This centre helps provide jobs and skills for the local indigenous women here in Wadeye. On Easter Sunday I plan to go for a walk around the town and give out some Easter eggs to the beautiful children of this community - I now know a lot of harrowing stories, the things these kids live out everyday. Count yourselves lucky that your childhood was much, much brighter then these children's.

So by giving money to a number of organisations, going to Church to join the rest of the Community and doing my part physically I am hoping to find a deeper meaning of Easter and follow the Pope's example.

I should tell you also that it doesn't stop at Easter time - I have been in thinking that during some of my holidays I will go to Kolkata and volunteer there as well as help the Church here in Wadeye get their Chalice repaired and pay with it out of funds I have received back from certain things that I believe should be used on someone or something else rather then myself. I don't tell you these things to brag. I tell you them so that you might somehow think about giving some of your time, prayer and/or money to something other then yourself. It helps create a brighter future. :)

Below are some photos from a lovely sunrise morning walk I did last Sunday & the Stations of the Cross by the kids at School. Great ways to reflect on life. Looking at doing 'Live Below the Line' again - check it out.

I have made 3 large donations already - if anyone has a organisation they think I should support please email me on: emwardeiner82@hotmail.com OR message me! :)