THE BISHOP’S EASTER MESSAGE 2026
My dear brothers and sisters in Christ,
On this most holy day – Easter Day, the Feast of all Feasts we are once again drawn into the mystery, wonder, and transforming joy of that first Easter morning. Scripture invites us, particularly in Matthew’s Gospel, to recall how two women, disciples of Jesus, went to the tomb with heavy hearts, expecting to find His lifeless body. Instead, they received the astonishing news from an angel: “He is not here; for he has been raised.” Receiving this news, they left the tomb not as they had arrived, but with great joy, transformed by the promise of the resurrection.
Like them, we rejoice today, for God has revealed this good news to us. His deep desire is not only to raise His Son from the dead, but to raise all people – from death to life, both now and eternally. God longs to bring us “back to life” – into a rich quality of living marked by hope, meaning and love.
This Easter message speaks directly into our present realities.
Many among us carry burdens that feel like forms of death. We grieve the loss of loved ones; silence fills our homes, and each day feels heavy in their absence. Death can seem to have the final word. Yet Easter proclaims that there is life beyond the grave, hope beyond loss, and the promise of eternal life with God and those who have gone before us. This is the resurrection hope we celebrate.
Many young people in our island are overwhelmed by uncertainty. Some struggle with their studies, others search for steady employment, and many wrestle with questions of identity, purpose, truth and worth. For them, death may appear as discouragement, anxiety, doubt, the temptation to give up or a lost sense of direction. Yet God desires to breathe new life into their dreams – opening doors where none seemed possible, awakening courage within them and surrounding them with mentors, guidance and opportunity. That’s especially where God calls us, as His Church, to aid in their resurrection – to walk alongside them with love, patience, encouragement and genuine care, restoring them back to the life Christ intends.
There are those, too, whose struggles are less visible but no less real: those battling illness – whether physical or mental – those who feel isolated and alone, those burdened by guilt, regret, or a sense of failure. In these hidden places, death whispers that nothing can change, that hope is lost; but Easter declares that no darkness is too deep for God’s light to reach because in Christ, there is forgiveness, restoration, and a renewed sense of dignity, belonging and purpose.
We cannot ignore, either, the realities that shape our wider society. In our communities and across our nation, we witness the painful effects of crime and violence, the erosion of trust, and the anxiety that comes from global unrest and conflict. These, too, are signs of death at work. Yet even here, the message of Easter resounds: no stone is too heavy for God to roll away. The resurrection assures us that God can bring healing where there is brokenness, reconciliation where there is division and war, and hope where it seems absent.
As we celebrate Easter, may we not simply remember the resurrection as a past event, but embrace it as a present and living truth. May this Easter be not only a celebration, but a renewal – a moment in which we allow God to raise us up again into the fullness of life in Christ.
On behalf of my wife, Chandra, and our boys – Michael John, Christopher, and Kalan – I wish you and yours a blessed and joyous Easter Day and season.
I am your friend and bishop, +Michael Barbados.