Dear Brothers and Associated Members,

Maastricht, April 2016

As we are still in the Easter season allow me, on behalf of the General Council, to wish you all a very Happy Easter. May the grace and spirit of Easter be with you and continue to make us aware of how great the love of God is for us. For the sake of our salvation "Jesus emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, becoming as human beings; he was humbler yet, even to accept- ing death, death on a cross" (Phil. 2: 7-8).

The Easter celebration is indeed the climax of God's mercy to the world, to all of us. Jesus who suffered, died, and was raised from the dead is the face of God's mercy. Jesus is the very personifica- tion of mercy. Everything in him speaks of mercy. Nothing in him is devoid of compassion (Misericordiae Vultus, no. 8).