ARCHDIOCESE OF PHILADELPHIA

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ:

             Why do you seek the living one among the dead? He is not here, but he has been raised (Luke 24:5-6). The message of the angels to the holy women at the tomb that first Easter morning resounds through the ages as an invitation to a new vision and proclamation of hope: Jesus Christ is risen from the dead. He has conquered death and he calls us to share in his glory.

            On Good Friday, the entire Church observed with deep emotion the sorrowful passion, death and burial of our Savior. In his death, Jesus shows the immeasurable mercy of God, whose love cleanses us of sin and eases the burdens of everyday life. Now, this Easter day invites us to stand before the empty tomb, to bury there our troubles, anxieties, fears and doubts, as we hasten to embrace a new life in the Risen Lord. Christ s Easter greeting, Peace be with you (John 20:19), is a gentle call to empty our minds and hearts of the tensions which weigh us down and to experience the serenity which he offers us. Hope in the resurrection enables us to live tranquilly in this world with our minds and hearts ever fixed on the new life which Jesus offers us in heaven.

            To the newly baptized, I extend special greetings. The Church rejoices that now, through the saving waters of baptism, the gift of the Spirit and the Holy Eucharist, you are one with us at the Table of the Lord. I express my heartfelt joy that you have embraced the Catholic faith and now I urge you to share that faith with others. May your new life and new vision in Christ bring hope and peace to others who are burdened by the cares of this world.

            With Mary, Mother of God, the holy women and the apostles, let us pray that we will experience the Easter hope proclaimed throughout the ages. On this glorious day, may the Risen Christ bestow his Easter gift of peace on all people.

                                                                        Sincerely in Christ,