My Dear People of Hamilton Diocese,

"Among those who had come up to worship at the feast were some Greeks. They approached Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, and put this request to him: 'Sir we should like to see Jesus.'" (John 12: 20, 21) During these difficult days of trial for our world and our Church there remains the constant wish, "we should like to see Jesus." We so greatly desire to experience His goodness, His mercy, His love.

This summer during his visit to Canada for World Youth Day, our Holy Father, Pope John Paul II, encouraged our young people to be the light of the world and the salt of the earth. He urged them to let our Saviour Jesus Christ be the one whose life and teachings would guide them through the paths of life, and whose light would help them avoid the pitfalls that lie along the way. He assured us all that when we choose Christ as our strength and our guide, then truly others will be able to see the goodness of Christ reflected in us. It is in the goodness of others today that we will be able to see Christ. As we being this Lenten walk which leads us to the light of Easter, we recall that Lent is about conversion. Lent is about ridding our lives of the shadows, whether great or small, that keep Christ's light from shining more brightly through us. To assist us in achieving this conversion the Church encourages us to use the tried and true methods of prayer, self-denial and almsgiving. Our greatest prayer is the Mass.

Let us remember also that this is the year of the rosary. If you don't pray the rosary often anymore, Lent could be the time for a new beginning. Ash Wednesday and Good Friday are days of fast and abstinence, but every day of Lent should have some reminder of the Cross. It is through the Cross that our Lord arrived at the glory of the resurrection.

"Sir, we should like to see Jesus." May this Lent make our Lord more present in our lives and in the lives of all who seek Him so that indeed His goodness may be seen on the face of this earth.

May God bless you.

Yours sincerely in Christ,

BISHOP OF HAMILTON