Dear Brothers and Sisters,
Happy Easter!
May our hearts be in celebration on this Easter day, for Christ has risen! At the heart of the Covid-19 pandemic that is costing the lives of so many women and men across the globe—and forcing billions of people to confinement—let us take a moment to stop and contemplate the face of Jesus. May his light restore our confidence and bring us healing!
Brothers and sisters, let us stop a little to see what this face of Christ currently consists of:
- In the medical staff, nurses, social workers and all the front-line workers, let us see Mary, the mother of Jesus, Veronica and the other women, who are present on the way to Calvary.
- In the sick of Covid-19 and the dying, let us see Jesus on the cross.
- In the public health officials who support efforts to stop the pandemic, inform the public and provide the best protection and care, may we see Mary Magdalene, Simon-Peter and John, the beloved disciple.
- In families struggling with job losses, disrupted schedules and the uncertainty of tomorrow, let us see the disappointed and distraught disciples who don’t understand what is happening to them.
- Finally, in every gesture of tenderness, love and sharing, let us see the Risen Christ who invites us to hope, faith and charity!
Yes, on this Easter 2020, let us stop a little to see beyond the headlines of the day and the surrounding disarray, and allow ourselves to be found by the Light of the Risen Christ. Let us listen to the singing birds and to the lessons that spring has to each us; let us also smile at each other, and dare, ourselves, to sing an Easter song. Perhaps we will then understand that at the heart of this crisis, we are invited to a rebirth of solidarity, of compassion and of love.
This newsletter is sent to you as a token of friendship. You will find in it, touches of poetry and art, as well as spiritual reflections and some news from the Franciscans of Canada. Have a good read! May the light of Easter be our strength and our joy. Let us remain in close communion of hope and peace!
Br. Pierre Charland, OFM
Provincial Minister
Franciscans of Canada