“The stone had been rolled away not to let Jesus out,
but to let the witnesses in.”

Mary Magdalene, arriving in the pre-dawn dark, at first concludes the worst: that the body has been stolen. She weeps. She does not recognise the risen Christ when he stands before her. She mistakes him for the gardener. Even the disciples, when they first hear her report, dismiss it as idle talk. The Resurrection enters the world quietly — almost reluctantly — and it asks not for immediate acclaim but for the slow, deepening recognition that transforms fishermen into martyrs.

"Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?" — "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" — is the opening line of Psalm 22. Attributed to David and composed around 1000 BC, this psalm was not an obscure text. It was well-known, regularly sung, and deeply cherished. Any observant Jew hearing those words would have immediately recognised them.

As the Canons Regular of the Sacred Heart of Jesus prepare to enter a year dedicated to the Eucharist, three books have been chosen as guiding lights: In Sinu Jesu, God Is Near Us, and This Is My Body. Each approaches the Eucharistic mystery from a different angle — contemplative, theological, and missionary — yet together they form a coherent vision of renewal. These works will shape the CRSHJ’s prayer, formation, and outreach throughout 2026.

As we step into 2026, the Canons Regular of the Sacred Heart of Jesus begin our annual Donations Campaign — a moment each year when we invite friends, benefactors, and all who share our mission to stand with us in sustaining the pastoral, educational, and charitable work entrusted to our care. This is not simply a fundraising effort. It is a renewal of shared responsibility for the life of the Church, and for the people who rely on us for sacramental ministry, spiritual accompaniment, and practical support.