Dear Friends,

We are about to head into Holy Week, which culminates in the Paschal Triduum, those holy days where we enter into the passion, death and resurrection of our Lord, Jesus Christ.

Christians are a resurrection people, but all of us in our life can expect to walk the road of Calvary in some way on our road to Easter joy.

For most of us, Lent has been a time of denying ourselves in at least some small way, so as to bring us closer to Jesus.

In denying ourselves, we have also opened ourselves outwards, in almsgiving, by supporting various good causes helping those in need.

And we have sought to be more prayerful, spending quality time in building relationship with God through daily familiarity and surrender.

Here in the SVD Australia Province we had the great gift of having our Provincial Chapter during Lent, which gave us the opportunity for more formal appraisal of our personal and community prayer life, spirituality, missionary outreach and priorities.

It was challenging work at times, but then, Lent is meant to challenge us so that we can allow the Holy Spirit to work in us and transform us.

I pray that your Lent too, has been fruitful and that, as we prepare to enter together into Holy Week and the great Easter season we remember that we are not walking alone along the road to Calvary.

Firstly, we walk with Jesus, who walked the way of the cross for us.

Secondly, we are walking together, as a faith community and disciples of Jesus.

And finally, as Easter dawns and we celebrate all the life-giving graces of the resurrection, we remember that we are called to share that resurrection grace with others – perhaps with family or friends, colleagues, the homeless person on the street, people of all faiths or none, those who are marginalised, sick or lonely.

Easter is about new life and above all, it is about love, the greatest love of all. May it be a blessed time for you and your family, for our SVD community, partners in mission and friends. And may the hope of Easter bring peace and joy to our wounded world, especially those who are suffering the most.

Yours in the Word,

Fr Asaeli Rass SVD,

Provincial.