If you’re Catholic, you’ve likely heard the famous Easter quote from Pope St. John Paul II — “We are an Easter people and Alleluia is our song!” Did you know that he said this not at Easter Time, but in November — almost 40 years ago?
He proclaimed these encouraging words during his Sunday Angelus on Nov. 30, 1986, on his papal trip to Australia that year:
“We do not pretend that life is all beauty. We are aware of darkness and sin, of poverty and pain. But we know Jesus has conquered sin and passed through his own pain to the glory of the Resurrection. And we live in the light of his Paschal Mystery — the mystery of his Death and Resurrection. ‘We are an Easter People and Alleluia is our song!’ We are not looking for a shallow joy but rather a joy that comes from faith, that grows through unselfish love, that respects the ‘fundamental duty of love of neighbor, without which it would be unbecoming to speak of Joy.’”
So what if you are not Catholic but simply Christian? Today, Easter Sunday 2025 there are 8.062 billion people in the world. It is projected that we shall reach 9 billion in 2037 and 10 billion in 2058.
Approximately 31.2% of the world's population identifies as Christian. This makes Christianity the world's largest religion, with over 2.38 billion followers. In 2022, around 31.6 percent of the global population were identify as Christian. Around 25.8 percent of the global population identify as Muslims, followed by 15.1 percent of global populations as Hindu.
The Catholic Church (Latin: Ecclesia Catholica), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.28 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics worldwide as of 2024.
Tom, there better be an 'Easter Egg' hidden somewhere in this Blog.........
There was a time when I was studying to become a Roman Catholic Deacon.
In the Catholic Church, a deacon is an ordained minister who is called to serve and witness Christ's love in the world. They are part of the clergy, along with priests and bishops, but their role is distinct, focusing on ministry and service, rather than presiding over the sacraments like priests. Deacons are ordained to proclaim the Gospel, assist at Mass, and perform various works of charity and outreach.
My Spiritual Advisor was Fr. John Catoir. He was an amazing man and teacher. It is a 5 year 'formation' to become a Roman Catholic Deacon. I lasted for 2 years of the 5. At the time I had young children, and my family needed me. So, I put my Diaconate Formation on pause.
Fr. Catoir was an amazing communicator. He asked me, "Tom, why do you want to become a Deacon?"
My answer was to give back. To make a difference. To be of service to others. His words were clear and powerful: "So, do it. Make a difference. Be of service to others. You can start today, you don't need to wait 5 years. Right now, today. Begin. You don't need an Alb to be a Messenger of Joy."
In 2025, Americans are projected to spend $23.6 billion on Easter. This is up from $22.4 billion in 2024 and approaching the record $24 billion spent in 2023. The largest spending category is candy, with $3.3 billion projected to be spent on sweets.
Here's a breakdown of the spending:
Overall Spending: $23.6 billion
Candy: $3.3 billion
Food: $7.4 billion
Gifts: $3.8 billion
Clothing: $3.5 billion
Decorations: $1.7 billion
Flowers: $1.9 billion
So to review: there are approximately 2.38 billion Christians worldwide, making up about 31.2% of the global population. This figure represents the largest and most widespread religion globally. Christianity is the primary religion in many countries and territories, including the Americas, Europe, Oceania, and sub-Saharan Africa.
I can hear Fr. Catoir's words in my head this Easter Sunday Morning.
"So, do it. Make a difference. Be of service to others. You can start today, you don't need to wait 5 years. Right now, today. Begin. You can become a Messenger of Joy."