AN IMMENSE SENSE OF RELIEF AND GRATITUDE:

I must confess that I reached Easter Monday with a huge sigh of relief, but also with an immense sense of gratitude for the wonderful response from you all, which helped to make the Triduum and Easter ceremonies so memorable. I watched in admiration as the different teams ensured that the church was prepared and each occasion was fittingly celebrated. Furthermore, the size of the congregations exceeded my expectations. After the Easter Vigil joy radiated around the church, as it did at each of the Masses on Easter Sunday. In the midst of so much tension and anxiety across the world, our faith offers us another perspective. Led by Pope Leo, we can continue to pray for the grace to bring that joy, together with the hope and peace that Christ offers us, to the wider world. This is the synodal vision of the Church today: we are all walking together and working together as the Body of Christ, with a mission to evangelise the world. There is talk of a revival of faith and I sense that there may be many more people who would love to share our vision. It is in this context that I suggest we all try to be more proactive in encouraging others to join us in this modern crusade. Unlike our forebears in the Middle Ages who believed that Christianity had to conquer the world with violence, we know that Christ is calling for us to imitate him and never give up on loving. ‘The Journey in Faith’ programme will begin again in the autumn. Let us see whether we can encourage more people to come and explore the mystery of Christ with us and in due course be baptised or received into full communion. So, once again, thank you for all the goodwill and encouragement and may we continue to celebrate the Easter Season with renewed hope and confidence. The season ends with the Feast of Pentecost when we will ask for a further outpouring of the Gifts of the Holy Spirit, which, in turn, will help us to share the Fruits of the Holy Spirit with others.