Br. João Carlos do Prado, Councillor General: He “saw and believed” (John 20:8)

The Gospel of John (20:1-9) on Easter Sunday this year states that when the disciple who accompanied Peter entered the tomb of Jesus and saw what had happened there, he believed. We, too, have seen and experienced many events that, especially in recent months, have caused us insecurity, doubt, and fear. In the face of all this, the voice of the Lord resounds softly in the depths of our hearts, saying “do not be afraid! (Mt. 10:31). It is a call that asks us to trust the Lord, to surrender ourselves to him and with him to go through the dark night  we are living in order to reach the resurrection, the new life.

The pandemic of  covid-19 is affecting all humanity and causing pain, fear, insecurity and, above all, uncertainty. We do not know exactly when we will be able to return to work, to school, to the street, and to visit family, to be able to safely embrace our friends and family. We miss many things and now we value every detail of our life in a different way. Without having made a choice, we are collectively entering a process of re-signifying our lives, history and future. This crisis, for Christians, coincides to a great extent with the period of Lent, when we withdraw to look within ourselves and deepen our existence on the basis of the word and life of Jesus.

Living this moment of human history is an invitation, to each one of us, to BELIEVE. The beloved disciple entered the tomb at dawn and realized that Jesus was no longer there, and he believed. Jesus had risen. The dark night had passed. It was necessary for Jesus to go through this experience in order to have a new life and for all of us to have it. Also for each one of us, beyond wishing this experience to pass, it is important to live it and to incorporate it into our lives. There is a new world, a new reality, a new normality that awaits us. We will not be alone.

The celebration of Easter means for each one of us, Christians and non-Christians, a reason for hope and faith in a new life that the Lord has entrusted and placed in our hands. With Him we will be born this Easter to a new life. He has risen and is alive among us, giving us the comfort and the courage to make the journey. Mary and Marcellin accompany us in the birth of this new dawn for humanity. He “saw and believed” (Jn. 20:8) – Happy Easter to all!

Br. João Carlos do Prado, Councillor General