Dear Confreres, Formandi, Lay Associates in our mission, and the whole Redemptorist Family. As General Government, we wish you all a happy Easter!
With Easter, we want to celebrate our inner renewal. The Resurrection of the Lord invites each of us to be born again and to sing a new song of hope. What new song can we sing in the face of such a challenging world, with so many social inequalities? Despite the dark horizon, the Resurrection is the light that guides us, because Christ has conquered death. We are men and women of hope! We cannot keep the doors closed out of fear. We will recognize Jesus by his greeting of peace and the traces of his passion. And when we receive his Holy Spirit, we will come out of the prison of fear and doubt to proclaim him (cf. Jn 20:19-29).
In the strength of the Risen Christ, we join in prayer with our confreres and the people of West Africa, the Middle East, Mozambique, South Africa, Ukraine, Haiti, Venezuela, Cuba and other places where there are wars, terrorist attacks, conflicts and violence. In spite of this suffering and pain, we are “Missionaries of Hope in the footsteps of the Redeemer”. This hope, which flows from their humanity and kenosis, sustains each confrere in these places and helps them to encourage the people who are also suffering. May the Risen Christ, Redeemer of the world, transform the hearts of human beings in order to build a peaceful society.
HAPPY EASTER OF THE RESURRECTION TO ALL OF YOU!
Fr. Rogerio Gomes, CSSR.
Superior General
