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Founders Feast in Chennai 2019Chennai, IndiaBackForwardPauseCaption
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EASTER – Gratitude and HopeMy Dear Confreres,
As we celebrate the great mysteries of our Redemption during Holy Week and Easter, it is a great joy to greet you!
The resurrection of Jesus is not only the most important event that has taken place in the history of the world but also, we can say, that it is the very basis of our Christian faith. We can imagine what would happen to Christianity if Christ had not risen from the dead: our faith in Jesus Christ, our hope for eternal life, and the very meaning of our Christian life will crumble down. That is why St. Paul, in 1 Corinthians 15,14 says that if Christ has not risen from the dead, then our preaching is without substance and our faith useless. In the case of Jesus, without the Resurrection, He would have remained forever in the history of humankind as a good person, maybe a good teacher, who met with a tragic end. People would remember some of His teachings and a handful of people might even try to live according to them. But, we know that our faith, hope and very Christian life are founded on Jesus' resurrection.
The Gospels remind us that the power of the resurrection does not erase the wounds of the crucifixion. Jesus continues to bear these marks in His body. He invites Thomas to touch them and place his hand in His wounded side. It is in this wounded world that we are called to witness to the power of the resurrection to heal and transform and to accompany those who suffer with compassion. The power of the resurrection does not 'rescue' us, as if by magic or miracle, from the wounded world that we call home. Rather, the experience of the resurrection of Jesus empowers us to embrace this world with compassion, to accompany those who suffer with hope and understanding, and to forge new bonds of solidarity among ourselves and with the abandoned and the poor. It is the wounds of the Redeemer Himself whom we touch in the wounds of the world. And the Redeemer also touches our wounds with healing and peace.
That's the message announced by the angel on Easter morning. That message is for us too, at this moment. By His resurrection, Jesus has overcome sin and death and thus opened the door of salvation for each one of us. Therefore, we can say that resurrection is both a promise given to us and resurrection is our hope.Be not be afraid! Jesus is truly risen!”
Constitution 81 captures the very heart of our vocation: In view of the great good and the great tasks of our vocation we feel like a little flock, trusting however in the promise of the Lord: “Be not afraid, I am with you every day.”
Like the women in the Gospel during the Easter Vigil, we are 'fearful yet overjoyed' as we go forth to announce the power of the resurrection to all our sisters and brothers. May His peace and His joy touch and transform us all! Bearing in mind Jesus' exhortation, “Do not be afraid...” (Mt 28,20), let us entrust everything to the Lord, with full conviction because God is with us always. May the experience of His presence strengthen us in our daily life, and give us hope and a reason to live! May the Risen Lord accompany us in every moment of our life! May the miracle of Christ's resurrection fill our hearts with love, hope, gratitude, peace, and joy.Fr. Ronald J, SdC
Provincial Superior
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Today's Readings
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News from the Vatican
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