Dear Brothers and Sisters,

“We are an Easter people and Alleluia is our song.” These are the words of
St. Augustine in the 4th Century and they are as true now as they were then. Our
Catechism tells us that: “The Paschal mystery has two aspects; by his death, Christ liberates us from sin; by his Resurrection, he opens for us the way to a new life.” The gospel tells us of Peter and John who run to the tomb and find it empty. It says that when John entered the tomb “he saw and believed.” But what did he see - he saw the absence of Jesus and he believed. He did not simply see physically but he saw with the light of faith.

Pope Benedict says: “Faith in the resurrection of Jesus says that there is a future for every human being; the cry for unending life which is a part of the person is indeed answered… God exists: that is the real message of Easter. Anyone who even begins to grasp what this means also knows what it is to be redeemed.”

I pray that all of you will be filled with Easter joy and may know in a deep way the love of God who has redeemed us. Truly, “We are an Easter people and Alleluia is our song.”

-- Fr. Tony