'Easter invites us to deepen our knowledge of Jesus'

The following is the Easter message from the Catholic Bishops' Conference of Sri Lanka

Easter is the most sublime feast of the Liturgical Year in which we proclaim and celebrate the victory of Jesus of Nazareth, the Risen Lord Our Saviour over sin and death.

We let the words of the angels resound in our ears, "Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here, but has risen" (Luke, 24,5).

This year we make this joyful proclamation at a time when our Universal Shepherd Pope Francis invites us to focus on the Cross and the sufferings of mankind.

The Pope urges everyone in the Universal Church to discover the joy of believing in Jesus by being in solidarity with the poor and marginalised.

He also invites us to discover our faith in Jesus as an inestimable fill given to each and everyone of us. Easter is quite a fitting season to thank God for our faith in the person of Jesus, the Christ God has bestowed upon us this unique gift of our faith in God's only begotten Son.

Thus we need to thank all those who were instrumental in handing down to us this gift of our faith.

The joyful season of Easter invites us to deepen our knowledge of Jesus, the Risen Saviour and to renew our awareness that He is alive in our midst. Our faith in the Risen Saviour gives us comfort as he journeys and accompanies us amidst the trials and the challenges of our life.

The feast of Easter reminds us that Jesus, the Lord does not abandon his flock. This joyful season invites us to renew our awareness of His abiding presence in our life.

The Risen Lord appeared to His disciples and each time he greeted them with the gift of peace. True peace is indeed a gift and this peace can be experienced in being united with God. Let us share the same gift of peace as we continue to live in these present times, in the aftermath of a war against terrorism which ravaged the country.

While we observe certain positive signs of development in the country the need is also felt to promote unity and reconciliation among the people in our motherland. This could be done only if we respect one another and safeguard each other's dignity.

This depends largely on equality and justice for all citizens of the land which requires on the part of everyone great sacrifice. We need to implore the Lord to strengthen us in this resolve to pursue peace with dignity while doing whatever is possible to make that gift of peace real and true.

While we thank God and rejoice in the unique gift of peace, let us also he mindful of those who suffer for the lack of basic requirements of life. Our Christian discipleship always invites us to care for those in need since it is our duty to recognise the face of Jesus in those who suffer.

Our Easter joy must make us aware ever more deeply of the demands of Christian discipleship. May all people experience the gift of peace both in our personal lives and in our dear country.

We wish all our faithful and people of goodwill the joy and the peace of the Risen Saviour.