Accompany the suffering to be reborn and to pass from darkness to the light of hope in the Risen Lord. 

We believe in you, Lord Jesus. We believe that, with you, hope is reborn and the journey continues. 

Dear friends of WUCWO:

The days of the "Easter Triduum" begin; days in which we remember the death and resurrection of Our Lord Jesus Christ. We start with the Holy Thursday mass that reminds us of the last supper that Jesus had with his apostles, in which he instituted the Eucharist and the priesthood, as well as the washing of feet with which He taught his disciples and now teaches us how to serve others humbly. Have we learned from Jesus to serve others with humility, putting aside all kinds of protagonism?

The triduum continues with the Eucharistic Adoration, which reminds us of how Jesus asked the apostles to watch and pray with him before he was arrested. We are also called today to pray and to remain vigilant in the face of so many things that threaten to take away our peace, serenity, hope and even our faith itself. Are we doing so or do the agitation and daily complications of life prevent it?

The triduum resumes on Good Friday, the day on which we remember the passion and death of the Lord. After the Holy Thursday Mass, everything is "stripped" from the altar. The Tabernacle is open and empty. It is a solemn day of mourning in which we no longer have Jesus, who gave the most precious thing for us, his very life. It is the only day of the year when Mass is not celebrated; only the Liturgy of the Passion of Our Lord with the reading of the Gospel, the Veneration of the Cross and Holy Communion.  The Veneration of the Cross always leads me to ask myself how we accept the crosses that the Lord allows to be presented to us along the way. Are we, like Jesus, able to say with sincerity: "Father, if it is possible, may this cup pass from me; yet not my will, but yours be done"? (Luke 22:42)

On Holy Saturday Jesus is in the tomb. Again, there is no Mass during the day: Jesus is not with us. However, later in the evening, when it is already dark, there is the Easter Vigil Mass: the first Mass in which we celebrate the resurrection of Jesus. This Mass, together with that of Easter Sunday, represent the pinnacle of our faith: Jesus is risen, he has conquered death and opens the gates of heaven to all of us!  This is what gives true meaning to our existence. Are we aware of this and do we announce it to others?

Returning to the Easter Vigil, let us analyze one of its elements. The Easter candle is lit symbolizing that Jesus has conquered darkness and death. How many people around us walk in darkness because they have not recognized this light? Are we doing enough to bring them the light of the faith and hope that Jesus came to bring to the world? 

Finally, I want to remember particularly the women who were with Jesus until the end. Those women who did not deny him and who had the courage to remain with him at the Calvary until his death: the same women who were also the first witnesses of the resurrection. How many people today suffer a real "calvary" for different reasons and need to find, through us, WUCWO women, a loving and supportive hand, like that of Jesus, to listen to them, welcome and accompany them in their suffering and help them to overcome their problems? How many need to receive from us the testimony of the resurrection of Jesus: the hope that the Risen Lord gives us? 

Let us not forget that Easter means "passage", because in Jesus the decisive passage of humanity took place: from death to life, from sin to grace, from fear to trust, from desolation to communion. I am convinced that this is the true meaning that the passion of our Lord and his resurrection must have for us. For this reason, I invite you to redouble your efforts in these undoubtedly difficult times for humanity.

As Pope Francis asked of us last year, let us repeat today with renewed hope and joy: We believe in you, Lord Jesus. We believe that, with you, hope is reborn and the journey continues. May you, the Lord of life, encourage us on our journey and repeat to us, as you did to the disciples on the evening of Easter: “Peace be with you!…As the father has sent me, I am sending you”.

¡Happy easter to you and your families!

Mónica Santamarina

WUCWO President General