We are called to be witnesses of that hope which dwells within us, as St. Paul says. This is a hope that springs from our faith in the God of life and in humanity which is capable of rising from the ashes. This means that, in all our struggles to be persons who love and who are alive, God is with us. The grace of God is with us at times of failure and of trouble, to get us back on our feet again. In the same way that on Easter Sunday God changed Good Friday into a day of blessing, we can be sure that all our attempts to love will bear fruit. Therefore, we have nothing to fear! We can get deeply involved in this adventure with confidence and courage (Timothy Radcliffe).

As persons who have been reconciled, our fraternal communities should give hope a face, as those who are present by Gospel choice in situations of sadness and poverty, showing that the tenderness of God knows no borders, that the Resurrection of Jesus is a garment of victory, that the God of life will have the final word over the idols of death.

The love of a God who wants all to be saved, but who has a special predilection for the poor and the little ones, as seen in the Gospel and as understood by our Founder, should make us creative and effective. Easter is an invitation to turn to the future as a sign of something which is qualitatively better; it is about making present the values of the Kingdom, such as filiation and fraternity, which should be our overall view, as it was for Jesus, leading him to surrender his very life. Love is the proof that we are participating in the Lord's Passover: We know that we have passed from death to life because we love our brothers and sisters (1 John 3: 14).

The challenge is great but we know that the Lord is risen and that his renewed presence in prayer, in the Eucharist, and in the faces of our brothers and sisters makes possible for us that which seems like a dream. Happy Easter!

Brother Alvaro Rodriguez Echeverria
Superior General