Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ,

Easter is a time of hope. As the Letter to the Hebrews assures us, "We have [hope] as a sure and firm anchor of the soul" (Heb 6:19). We are truly anchored despite the storms that threaten us daily. For Christians, life's difficulties are not eliminated. They are endured with confidence and transformed with the joyful hope of the risen Christ.

We know we need God's grace to face the pain and fatigue of everyday life. We know we need the seven gifts of the Spirit (wisdom, understanding, counsel, fortitude, knowledge, piety, and fear of the Lord) to sustain us on life's journey.

This was certainly true for Jesus' first disciples. Many of them faced harsh persecution and death while fulfilling the Lord's great commission to go throughout the world as missionaries, preaching the Gospel and healing the sick in His name. They experienced endless sufferings and disappointments, but they served the Lord with joy because they were endowed with the gifts of the Holy Spirit and burned with God's love.

In every generation, all Church receives gifts from the Holy Spirit. We call these "charisms," from a Greek word meaning "favor" or "gift freely given." The charisms given to the Church by the Holy Spirit reflect Christian life's richness and diversity. They help us experience life in Christ in various ways under different circumstances.

As noted in Synod 2023 Synthesis Report: A Synodal Church on Mission (see below), "The Church has always experienced charismatic gifts, from extraordinary ones to simple ones. Through them, Holy Spirit rejuvenates and renews Church with joy and gratitude... The charismatic dimension of Church has a particular manifestation in consecrated life with its richness and variety of forms. Its testimony has contributed at all times to renewing ecclesial community life."

I am blessed to be a member of the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer (Redemptorists). Founded by St. Alphonsus Liguori in Scala, Italy, in 1732, we are a community of missionaries dedicated to serving the poor and vulnerable in over 100 countries worldwide. Our charism (or free gift of the Holy Spirit) can be discerned in Alphonsus' life and teachings, our founder, and how Redemptorist priests and brothers have responded to changing needs and circumstances of people we have served for nearly 300 years.

There are many different Religious Institutes, sometimes called Orders, Societies, Congregations, which include women and men living different styles of consecrated life following their founders' example. As Synthesis Report observes: "The various families that make up religious life demonstrate discipleship's beauty and holiness in Christ."

When dark days come—in our personal lives and our common life as Church composed of many diverse followers of Jesus Christ—we cry out: Come Holy Spirit, renew the face of the earth! We long for never-ending joy. As Pope Francis tells us, this joy is within our reach if we can step out of our comfort zone and become missionary disciples who wholeheartedly devote ourselves to proclaiming Good News.

Let us pray: Holy Spirit of God, come pour your dew on our dryness. Melt our frozen hearts and guide us when we go astray. Give us endless joy. Amen. Hallelujah!

Happy Pentecost Sunday!

Sincerely yours in Christ the Redeemer,

Cardinal Joseph W. Tobin, C.Ss.R.

Archbishop of Newark