“The death and resurrection of Jesus is the heart of our faith and the basis of our hope”.  So, the Holy Father reminded us when he invited us to be Pilgrims of Hope in the Holy Year.  Once again in Holy Week, we have been privileged to make the journey of faith from hearing the horrible cry of Jesus on the cross “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me” to listening to the message of the angel at the empty tomb “He is not here, but has risen”.  We know this.

But do we make it known?

Our faith in the risen Lord is not a treasure to be held close and nurtured in private.  It is Good News that must be celebrated and proclaimed out loud.  In the Church’s liturgy, our Alleluia has been silenced for the 6 weeks of Lent.  This is so we can sing and shout it out even more in Easter.  But it is a word not to be reserved to our churches.  Many of those who need to hear it most are unlikely to be inside our churches.  So we need to take it to them, to our families and our communities.

As I wish you and your families a happy and holy Easter, I encourage you all to be Pilgrims of Hope who are not afraid to share the message of the risen Christ with your neighbour.  Let your Alleluia ring in the ears of others.

+Frank Dougan