EASTER MESSAGE

I wish everyone a very Happy Easter, and hope you have benefitted from your participation in the liturgical celebration of the Lord’s Paschal Mystery through Holy Week and at Easter.

I trust the Easter Vigil will be a particularly joyful event for all who have been baptised, confirmed, and have received the Eucharist at the Vigils in parishes across the Diocese. I offer my own congratulations and blessing to you all, and hope that the grace of the sacraments will enlighten and sustain you throughout your lives. I thank all who have organised and participated in the Parish RCIA sessions, recognising your generous commitment in sharing your knowledge and love of the Catholic faith with our catechumens and candidates.

It is always special for the Bishop to concelebrate the Mass of Chrism on Holy Thursday with his priests, in the presence of the deacons, religious, and lay faithful, and this year again we were again united as the Body of Christ here in Motherwell Diocese, acknowledging the gift of the sacraments and praying for the priests, ordained to celebrate and administer them.

I thank you all for your generous response to the Lenten Appeals, particularly for your support for SCIAF through the Collection and the Wee Boxes. The Good Friday Collection for the support of the Church in the Holy Land is also vitally important and your contributions are much appreciated. The Universal Prayers at the Commemoration of the Lord’s Passion on Good Friday strongly remind us of the Church’s responsibility for praying for the whole world and people of all faiths and none. Fulfilling this mission, we must continue to pray for peace and an end to all war. Pope Leo has spoken strongly in recent times calling for an end to war in the Middle East:

On behalf of the Christians of the Middle East and of all women and men of good will, I appeal to those responsible for this conflict: cease fire! May paths of dialogue be reopened! Violence can never lead to the justice, stability and peace for which the peoples are waiting.

May the peace of the Risen Christ reign in our hearts and in our troubled world.

+ Joseph Toal