KCP - Catholic Diocese of Broome

This year we have enjoyed a wet summer such as you imagine we would always have in the tropical north. The active monsoon has swept across the top in an unusually consistent manner dampening country left dry in previous years.

Easter is traditionally the time when the seasons change in the Kimberley. Experienced gardeners plant their seed beds and prepare the soil for a period of perfect horticulture. For them Easter divides the year between the old and the new. In the spiritual garden of our lives Easter is a useful reminder that before Christ there is only chaos. With Christ there is purpose and direction. This is the cause of our great joy and the impetus for our wonderful ceremonies. The words "Christ Our
Light" ushers us into the Church at the Easter Vigil while on the Sunday morning we pray that we may "know him in the breaking of the bread and follow him in his risen life".

Of harrowing concern is the 'realization that there are large numbers of Australians, a fair share of them in the north, who do not know Christ and do not follow him. Living in a tourist town where the principal pursuit is mindless hedonism, it is very often alarmingly obvious that belief and the practice of the faith are minor considerations in the daily play of things. However, what is important is to state that
this sorry state of affairs is not Easter Message overwhelming - not for those who enjoy the benefit of Grace and a supportive faith community. Saint Paul reminds us in the Sunday scripture that "You must know how even a small amount of yeast is enough to leaven all the dough". (1Cor5:6) It is with this conviction in mind that we pray earnestly and consistently for the unbelievers in this world, ushering in the light that leads people out of darkness and into a deep relationship with Christ.

The recent publication on the life of Father Nicholas Emo by Sr. Brigida Nailon CSB is not merely the tale of a great adventure set in the Kimberley missions but it is also a testimony to resounding faith in the face of enormous odds. His determined construction of the bush church at Cygnet Bay - dedicated to Our Lady of the Aborigines was a beacon of hope and a statement in faith. Nothing could deter this faithful servant of the Gospel - not betrayal nor dishonesty, not bushfires nor isolation, not opposition nor unfaithfulness. Nicholas made it his business to sail through every difficulty and challenge comforted by his faith and lifted up by his closeness to Jesus the Christ.

For each of us, the celebration of Easter should be a reminder of how empty were our lives before Christ transformed us. With Him we are prepared for a purposeful life in His service. Without doubt his love will sustain us and his presence will give us courage.