This requires concentration and focus on our part. It is impossible for us to communicate love to others unless we ourselves are aware of the love God has for us. Despair is such a grave sin for believers because it highlights how far removed we are from realizing the love God has for us. But despair and depression are such a common aspect of current society. It can be said to be an inevitable consequence of atheistic materialism, and is widespread at the present time. The Father does not make the excessive demands that the world makes on us. He never puts on our plate anything we cannot deal with. So the cross we bear must have as its source only the Father, and not the world.

The darkness we sometimes feel, the depression of others around us, or the aggressive materialism we are part of, can obscure the Father’s love from us. We must always return to meditate on the love God has for us. Jesus, despite his imminent death, is speaking today of the joy he receives from the Father, and a joy He is more than willing to pass on to us, as Christ keeps nothing for Himself.

Today’s reading from the Gospel of St John strongly implies mutual friendship between God and us. It is our friendship with him that causes us to produce good fruit and make good wine. We are bound together in mutual friendship and love.

Our relationship with God is more complex than the model of the master and his servant or a Father and his children. We are expected to do more than just follow blindly.

As Christians, we produce good fruit by following Christ’s example, which takes strength and courage. We are asked to bear witness. With the perfect growing conditions provided for us, what God hopes is that will we grow up and mature into good grapes that will produce good wine. Just as the vine draws nutrients from the ground, so we draw our strength from God to do whatever it is we must do — whatever it is the Spirit asks of us. We do so remembering that we are not alone but intertwined in love and friendship with many other branches, and One very strong vine.

Today, we can reflect on what it means that Jesus is the Good Shepherd, and thank Him for all the ways in which He cares for us.

Jesus loves each human being with great tenderness and compassion. Willingly He laid down His life to save people from sin and to bring them into the Father’s fold. Having brought us into the fold at great cost, He watches over us with tend concern to keep us safe. His love reaches beyond His Church to all people, and He longs to bring them all under his protection.

There were other, very different, experiences, which also convinced them that Jesus had risen. Before Jesus’ resurrection they had been unable to understand the Scriptures, even though He had often explained them to them. Now, after His resurrection, the risen Christ opened their minds to understand God’s Word.

In a similar way, as we come into his presence, Christ will open our minds to understand the Scriptures. Then, in and through God’s Word, we shall meet our risen Savior and experience His peace flowing into us, our doubts disappearing, our fears slipping away, our hearts being filled with confidence, joy, hope and love. The presence of Jesus will bring us to stronger faith, enabling us to stand firm against every attack of doubt, fear and unbelief.

Often we are divided in ourselves. Part of us believes but part of us battles with doubts. Our faith is constantly under challenge and attack. However, although we can think that our faith is weak, it is actually more robust than we imagine. It may be bruised and weakened; yet it is still there, needing only to be revived.

The Easter festival brings the grace of holiness from heaven to men. Through the repeated celebration of the sacred mysteries they receive the spiritual nourishment of the sacraments. Fostered at the very heart of Holy Church, the fellowship of one community worships the one God, adoring the triple name of his essential holiness, and together with the prophet sings the psalm which belongs to this yearly festival: This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad (Ps. 118:24).

And what is this day? It is the Lord Jesus Christ himself, the author of light, who brings the sunrise and the beginning of life, saying of himself: I am the light of day; whoever walks in daylight does not stumble (John 8:12). That is to say, whoever follows Christ in all things will come by this path to the throne of eternal light.

Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures. Jesus’ passion and cross are the fulfillment of Isaiah’s Suffering Servant prophecies. He is the Lamb who was silent before his shearers; he did not resist but was crushed for our iniquities, pierced for our transgressions and the punishment that brought us peace was on him. The cross is love to the very end. Jesus knew and loved us all when he offered his life.

No human being, not Mary our Mother, not St Peter or St Francis of Assisi or St Ignatius of Loyola, could take on himself or herself the sin of every human being who has ever lived or who will ever live. Only Jesus of Nazareth could become for us the source of eternal salvation, and his most holy passion on the wood of the cross merited justification for us.

Our Annual Easter Dinner is on Sunday, April 15 following Holy Mass. Everyone is invited.