Following on from Light in the Desert, the Catholic Archdiocese of Melbourne’s 2025 Lenten resource, we are now excited to offer We Are Witnesses, our 2025 Easter resource.
When it comes to the formation of our people, Easter is a season we often neglect. This is a shame because while it is wonderful to see the abundance of Lenten resources made available every year, Lent is a preparation for Easter. It doesn’t make much sense without it.
Recognising this, we wanted to offer a small-group resource that invites people to reflect on key weekly Scriptures readings and, in the same manner as Light in the Desert, select readings from the Second Vatican Council—in keeping with Pope Francis’ desires for this jubilee year. The theme of We Are Witnesses is mission: the mission of the whole church with all of her gifts and charisms. It invites people into the truth that the Council wanted to make so plain: that no matter what our vocation, we are called to be hope-filled witnesses to the resurrected Christ.
How to use
This resource is perfect for any level of formation. Those unfamiliar with Vatican II will discover a gentle ‘taster’, while those more familiar will have an opportunity to see with fresh eyes these important documents.
Each week includes an excerpt from a Sunday passage of Scripture (predominantly the Acts of the Apostles), a short reflection introducing key themes, an excerpt from a Vatican II document, and questions to prompt deeper thought on the topic and how it might empower us to live out our Easter calling. This resource runs from Easter Sunday to Pentecost Sunday.
There are two ways you might want to use this resource in a small group setting, one more informal and the other more formal.
Informal setting
For small groups wanting to meet, or continue doing so, in households, it may be a good idea to encourage participants to read the week’s pages ahead of time. That way, when coming together everyone will be prepared and ready to engage.
- Begin in prayer, offering your time to the Lord.
- Choose people to read aloud for the group the different parts of the resource (the reading, the ‘Did you know?’, Exploring the Faith, and the Vatican II excerpt).
- With the leader facilitating, enter a time of discussion. Answer the questions, but feel free to go where the conversation takes you. Pose questions, clarify anything confusing; let people share what is on their heart. If the conversation is going far off course, gently bring it back to the readings.
- Conclude your time with prayer. As preparation to receive the Jubilee Plenary Indulgence, consider offering a prayer for the intentions of the Holy Father with a simple Our Father, Hail Mary, and Glory Be.
Formal setting
A good idea may be to have weekly ‘mini retreats’ in the evening at your parish. Setting aside two to three hours every week, participants can come together for time that is equally devoted to quiet prayer and conversation.
- Once everyone has come together in the Church, begin the night by reading the Scripture together.
- Allow everyone to take time to pray, read, write, and reflect on what resonates for them. People may want to disperse to different prayerful locations, depending on the suitability of the facilities, or you could expose the Blessed Sacrament for 45 minutes or so.
- Following the conclusion of prayer, bring people together in one or more small groups (with a facilitator who has volunteered ahead of time) and enter a time of discussion. For this, you may want to facilitate a Spiritual Conversation or a freer flowing discussion, so long as it is well facilitated. Take care to ensure everybody in the group is heard and listened to respectfully.
- Conclude your time with prayer. As preparation to receive the Jubilee Plenary Indulgence, consider offering a prayer for the intentions of the Holy Father with a simple Our Father, Hail Mary, and Glory Be.
- If the facilities allow it, have some brief time of fellowship and food.
A note on the Jubilee Plenary Indulgence
For Jubilee 2025, the opportunities to receive the great mercy of a plenary indulgence have been increased. Among the many works one might do to obtain the Jubilee Indulgence, the Holy See has decreed that ‘the faithful will be able to obtain the Jubilee Indulgence if, with a devout spirit, they participate in popular missions, spiritual exercises, or formation activities on the documents of the Second Vatican Council and the Catechism of the Catholic Church, held in a church or other suitable place, according to the mind of the Holy Father’.
The usual conditions for receiving the Jubilee Plenary Indulgence remain in place. They include:
- Detachment from sin
- Visiting the sacrament of Reconciliation within a week or so of performing the work
- Receiving Holy Communion, preferably on the day the work is performed
- Praying for the intentions of the Holy Father, preferably on the day the work is performed
You can read more about how people can receive one here.
The Easter journey
As your journey with your people for the coming Easter season, we pray it is a time of renewal and growth, and that everyone who participates can discover anew the joy of their missionary calling in the world.