In his Easter message for 2025 delivered from the garden of Bishop’s House, Bishop David Oakley offered a heartfelt reflection on the hope and renewal that Easter brings, inviting the faithful to embrace the life of the Risen Christ more deeply through baptism and the power of the Holy Spirit.
Standing amidst the budding signs of spring, Bishop Oakley likened the renewal of nature to the spiritual renewal offered through Easter: “It lifts the heart, doesn’t it?” he said, noting how the lengthening days and returning life echo the grace of the season. He reminded viewers that Lent itself speaks of this promise, pointing us toward the joy of Easter.
At the heart of his message was a call to reflect not only on the historical reality of Christ’s resurrection, but on its living presence in the lives of the baptized. “Easter is a reality in our lives which we participate in through baptism,” he emphasized. “We are made participators in the Church’s mission… Baptism is the gateway to life in the Holy Spirit.”
Highlighting the upcoming renewal of baptismal promises at Easter Masses, Bishop Oakley encouraged all to consider what it truly means to be “baptized into Christ’s dying and rising.” He particularly invited the diocesan community to explore the Life in the Spirit seminars, describing them as rooted in the ancient proclamation of the Gospel—the Kerygma—and a powerful way to be “convicted of the truths of our faith.”
“In this Holy Year, when we think of ourselves as pilgrims of hope,” he said, “know that the hope you have in your heart of being closer to Jesus is something real—something that can be taken into your life and made a reality.”
The bishop concluded with a personal encouragement for each member of the diocese to live as “joy-filled disciples,” committed to deepening their faith and walking closely with Christ in the power of the Holy Spirit.
Details about Life in the Spirit seminars can be found here
Watch the video of the Easter Message here
Listen below to the Easter Message
Easter Message Text
Hello, dear friends, dear brothers and sisters in Christ, and greetings to you from the garden here at Bishop’s House, Northampton.
Well, it’s spring here, and this garden is once again beginning to show signs of new life after a long, dark, wet winter. I don’t know about you, but I am delighted every time we experience spring. It lifts the heart, doesn’t it? It shows us the new life that nature has in store for us once again. And Lent is a time of grace—its very name suggests spring: the lengthening of days and the promise of new life.
In this Easter message, I want to focus on the reality of the life of the resurrected Christ in our lives as His disciples.
We know and believe that, in truth, God raised His beloved Son Jesus from the tomb—from death to new, resurrected life. Not just resuscitation, but a new kind of life in a wonderful way. And we are invited to share in it.
It’s very easy for us to reduce Easter to a historical fact. But in truth, Easter is a present reality in our lives—something we participate in through baptism.
I often reflect on what it means to be baptized, especially when I celebrate the Sacrament of Confirmation. Those who are to be confirmed renew their baptismal promises, and so they are immersed into Christ and brought into a new relationship with our Triune God.
We are made participants in the Church’s mission. Baptism is the gateway to life in the Holy Spirit—that’s what the Catechism of the Catholic Church tells us so clearly and emphatically.
As we prepare to renew our baptismal promises during the Easter Sunday Masses, I invite you to think deeply about what this truly means. What does it mean to be baptized into Christ’s dying and rising—here and now, in our own lives and in our wonderful Diocese of Northampton?
I want to encourage you to consider taking part in the Life in the Spirit seminars. You may think, “That’s not for me,” but these seminars are based on an ancient model called the Kerygma—the proclamation made by St. Peter on that first Pentecost morning. It is the proclamation made by great saints such as Ignatius of Loyola throughout the centuries:
That we are created in God’s image and likeness;
That although we have fallen because of sin, God has promised us new life—salvation in His own Son, Jesus, the incarnate Word made flesh;
That through Jesus’ dying and rising, we are raised to new life;
And that, through the Church, we look forward to the day when Jesus will come again in glory.
This is the Kerygma—and it is meant to work its way through our lives as disciples, so that we are convicted of the truths of our faith. So why not give it a try? Do look online on the diocesan website and in other places to find details of how you can take part in the Life in the Spirit seminars.
If baptism is the gateway to life in the Spirit, then this Easter, make a commitment—to yourself and to our Risen Saviour—that you will take this seriously. Do what you can to live as joy-filled disciples.
And in this Holy Year, when we see ourselves as pilgrims of hope, know that the hope you carry in your heart—the hope of being closer to Jesus—is real. It can be taken into your life and made a reality as you seek to walk with Christ, day by day.
