Welcome to the joy of the Easter Season. We travel the desert road of Lent for 40 days, knowing that our lives are filled with selfishness and reflecting on the Passion of our Lord.

You and I have all we need to be the most joy-filled people on earth. As I shared last month, Pope Francis has challenged us to see that it is by “attraction” that the Church will grow.

“The Church grows,” writes Pope Francis, “not by proselytism [i.e. forced conversion] but by attraction.” This much-repeated phrase by the pope expresses concisely and forcefully his vision for the Church and its mission in the world.

What comes to mind when you hear the words: Encounter, Accompany, Community and Send? At best, you may see these four movements as the underpinnings of Living as Missionary Disciples, which has been the four-year focus of our diocese. At worst, they may vaguely remind you of an effort of the diocese that you thought was over a long time ago.

What do Evangelization and Advent have in common? They both include waiting. St. Monica, like many parents over the years, waited for her son to become a follower of Jesus. She waited through his young adult years until Augustine was 33. In the midst of waiting for our kids to come around, it can feel like an eternity. St. Monica, pray for us!