Dear Parishioner,

As you approach the end of the Easter Season, the message from our Lord, Jesus Christ, is very clear. We must keep His Commandments and remain in His love so that, “My joy may be in you and your joy might be complete”.

Jesus tells us this so that we may have a joyous outlook on life filled with optimism and grace. All the Gospels in the Easter Season are meant to uplift our spirits and send us forth into the world as disciples in Christ. The importance of “sending forth” cannot be underestimated. In this Gospel, as in many others, Christ is commissioning His followers to carry the Gospel to the entire world. We are included in this commissioning and the essential elements are present in today’s Gospel. The command to do this comes directly from Almighty God through the grace and love of Jesus Christ to take up residence in all our hearts.

My dear friends, I never tire of wishing you Happy Easter because the Easter Season never really ends if today’s Gospel is taken seriously. Thus, we are compelled to act upon the words in the Gospel with the grace and strength of Jesus Christ as the great motivating force in our lives.