Dear brothers and sisters
I wish you all a very happy Easter. May the Risen Christ enlighten your hearts and minds and grant you all the blessings. We have walked through the way of passion, suffering, cross, death and are blessed by God to enjoy the peace of Resurrection. Let us all be grateful to Christ for his humility in accepting to be one like us and taking our sins upon Himself.
Past week was a deeply spiritual week in the life of the Church and all of us. Today, throughout the world, the Church’s proclamation resounds: “Jesus, who was crucified, has risen as he said. Alleluia!”
We began our Easter preparation by putting on ashes on our foreheads and embarking on a spiritual journey of faith as “Pilgrims of Hope” in this year of Jubilee. The empty tomb is the place where God challenges us to hope and believe. He invites us to see Him present in the emptiness of our own lives. He challenges us also to meet Him in the brokenness of others’ lives, in the world ridden with difficulties and suffering. He invites us to recognise Him during our journey as He did to the two disciples on the road to Emmaus.
Let us remember that Easter is not a magic moment where Jesus takes away all our troubles and pains, but it is the moment where Jesus teaches us to take up our crosses and follow him to experience that easter joy. Easter did not occur simply to console those who mourned the death of Jesus, but to open hearts to the extraordinary message of God’s triumph over evil and death.
On this gracious occasion I want to express my gratitude to all of you who make our St. Mary’s church a beautiful place, an attractive House of God, and a vibrant community of God’s people.
Heartfelt gratitude to our scores of volunteers, ministry groups, staff members, benefactors and committees and individuals, who selflessly dedicate their time for the parish and make our liturgical celebrations meaningful and attractive. A big thanks also to all our priests who are ever ready to attend to the needs of the parish any time. May the Risen Lord fill our hearts with renewed enthusiasm and dedication.
Once again, wish you all a very happy Easter!