WELLINGTON, New Zealand — Catholic bishops in New Zealand wrote a special pastoral letter to worshippers stuck at home, comparing the country’s lockdown to the Biblical story of Easter.

“Our Easter, lived and celebrated in lockdown, has been one like we have never experienced before. We have felt the pain of not being able to celebrate together the Easter liturgies in our local churches. Some of you were looking forward to being baptized or received into the Church at Easter and this is yet to happen,” the letter says.

“The future, for many, appears uncertain or even dire,” the letter reads. “In the meantime, we are continuing to have the tomb experience of being locked down at home and we know, for many families, that this situation is becoming difficult and stressful.”

The bishops said that during the lockdown, the people of New Zealand have realized “that we have been seduced by busyness, the pursuit of trivial things and of taking for granted the important things of life.”

“People have enjoyed this slowing time. People have noticed families doing things together. The world has become quieter and we have noticed the beauty of nature. This time has proved to be a reflective time enabling us to refocus or revision ourselves and how we live.”

Crux staff contributed to this report.