Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe's Easter message:

Rise above petty disparities

Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe in his Easter message to the Christian community in Sri Lanka stated there are lessons Sri Lanka as a nation could learn from Lord Jesus Christ's message of hope - to rise above petty disparities, party and political strife, religious and ethnic differences and unite as one people, one nation.

The Prime Minister's message in full:

Christians all over the world celebrate Easter, Christianity's most holy occasion, with reverence and reflection. The death of Lord Jesus Christ, commemorated on Good Friday and His joyful Resurrection on Easter Sunday, serves as a powerful reminder of the theme central to His message: love, justice and mercy.

In the Christian liturgical calendar, the period of Lent begins with Ash Wednesday and continues for 40 days until Good Friday and Easter Sunday. During this period of solemn and pious observation, Christians engage in prayer, penance, repentance, atonement, alms giving and self-denial. On Good Friday, they remember the Crucifixion of Lord Jesus Christ and on Easter Sunday, they celebrate His Resurrection.

The life of Lord Jesus Christ and His Ministry on earth, personified virtues He preached - love, equality, peace, harmony and humility. There are lessons we as a nation can learn from His message of hope - to rise above petty disparities, party and political strife, religious and ethnic differences and unite as one people, one nation.

May Christians in Sri Lanka and everywhere else experience a blessed Easter as they commemorate the Death and the Resurrection of their Lord Jesus Christ.