Each of us can find ourselves so engaged with the ‘what we do’ that we lose sight of the ‘why we do’. The life of religion is certainly not immune from activity taking over from meaning and focus being lost, writes CRA President, Fr Peter Jones OSA.

Easter is core to who we are as Christians and core to our specific vocation as consecrated religious. Our annual celebration of the Paschal Mystery as Church serves us well. We recall in ritual what we believe and what we are called to share.

This year’s Gospel at the Easter Vigil concludes with the verse Filled with awe and great joy the women came quickly away from the tomb and ran to tell the disciples. (Matt 28:8)

The women absorbed the Easter reality with awe, moved quickly away from the tomb and ran to tell what they had experienced. Each of these moments are important. Each of these moments described in brevity in this verse are life long realities for each of us – awe, moving way from what is death towards life, enthusiastically sharing by word and deed what has been experienced.

On behalf of the CRA Council and Secretariat, I wish each of you a blessed, joyous and peaceful celebration of the Easter Season.

Fr Peter Jones OSA

President, Catholic Religious Australia