Dear Sisters and Brothers in Faith,

We are an Easter people and Holy Week is a time to give thanks and reconcile ourselves with God. In the midst of an uncertain and tumultuous world, this Easter season is a time to remember God's love for us and the sacrifice that Jesus made for our eternal salvation. It is also a time for us to remember what Jesus taught us. 

The mystery and love of God is revealed to each of us in different ways at different times. It can depend on where we are in our own life's journey yet it is always present through prayer, through the Eucharist, and through our own life experience. It's also made manifest to us through one another, even in the realm of political action.

Easter is a time that can both challenge us and console us. We can be both pruned for growth and enriched.   We can be called to love and be loved. It is a time for us to remember that while our individual journeys may be lonely, we are never alone -God is always with us.

As it was for Jesus, this is a time for us to understand ourselves through God, not only as individuals but also in community with one another.  We remember that we are all God's children, all brothers and sisters, and that God is present to us through each other.

Our Catholic heritage has been defined by an understanding that we are called to bring our faith into the world, a faith that is rooted in the love and hope of Easter. We can be grateful that our Church - in spite of the divisions we witness today - has given us and the world the rich Catholic Social Justice Tradition to guide us in working for the common good.

As Jesus taught us when he washed the feet of His Apostles, let us reflect and act on the importance of serving and caring for others - both as individuals and as a society.

We are an Easter people. Let us pray that the hope and joy of these days will fill us throughout this year both for our own journeys and for the work before us during this important year in the life of our nation.

And as the Spirit moves us to work in a polarized public square, as advocates for those most in need, let us remember the words and actions of Jesus at the Last Supper - "I have given you a model to follow, so that as I have done for you, you should also do." (John 13: 15).