We are an Easter people who are infinitely loved

My dear sisters and brothers in Christ,

Alleluia! Christ is risen, and our hearts are filled with joy. In his apostolic exhortation Evangelii Gaudium (“The Joy of the Gospel”), Pope Francis tells us that if we accept the Lord’s offer of salvation, “we will be set free from sin, sorrow, inner emptiness and loneliness” (#1).

As baptized Christians, we all find ourselves on a journey. We walk together in the footsteps of the risen Christ as we travel toward our heavenly home. This sacred pilgrimage (the Synodal Church in mission) is not meant to be a time of drudgery and sorrow.

Although we are called to follow Jesus on the way of the cross, we should always remember our Lord’s promise to his disciples: “You will be sorrowful, but your sorrow will turn into joy” (Jn 16:20).

For 2,000 years, the saints and martyrs have shown us how to live the Gospel—and take up our crosses—with joy. We are all invited, with St. Paul, to rejoice in our sufferings!

“The great danger in today’s world,” Pope Francis writes, “is the desolation and anguish born of a complacent yet covetous heart, the feverish pursuit of frivolous pleasures, and a blunted conscience… That is no way to live a dignified and fulfilled life; it is not God’s will for us, nor is it the life in the Spirit which has its source in the heart of the risen Christ” (EG, #2).

Continue reading Cardinal Joseph Tobin’s latest newsletter.