May the grace and joy of the Risen Christ be with you all. Our long journey of personal transformation through fasting, almsgiving, and prayer during the Lenten season has come to a conclusion with a renewal of spirituality. The prophecies of the Old Testament have been fulfilled through the passion and death of Jesus and His glorious Resurrection. Pope John Paul II, in his Urbi et Orbi address, said of the miracle of Easter: "We proclaim this witness to the world, so that the joy which is ours will reach countless other hearts, kindling in them the light of hope which does not disappoint." We are an Easter people, a people of joy! This spirit of hopefulness is the hallmark of a true follower of Christ.

Like Jesus' own apostles on the road to Emmaus we are often immersed in the sorrows and minutiae of life and fail to see our risen Lord walking and talking with us. As the Gospel says "... their eyes were prevented from recognizing Him." As we delight in the celebration of the Resurrection let us recognize Jesus in the breaking of the bread, as did His apostles. It is at the Mass, the breaking of the bread, that our family and community ties are strengthened with the unbreakable bond of faith. As your family attends Easter Mass together know that you are giving your children the most precious gift of all.

During this blessed Easter season let us strive to recognize Jesus in all people. See the beauty of the Baby Jesus in your young children, the determination of the adolescent Jesus, found in the temple, in our teens and tweens, and the suffering Jesus in your aging parents and the ill. As fervent believers in the mystery of the Resurrection we carry the light of hope to a weary, war torn world and our baptism is a sacred promise that we shall not be disappointed.