As Jesus speaks to Nicodemus we discover that our hope in Christ gives us the strength we need for our earthly journey. Whatever challenges we encounter in this life, we look to the Lord’s victory over sin and death to guide us to Heaven.
Mass Readings – Tuesday of the 2nd Week of Easter
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Study: Reflect on an experience where your faith got you through a difficult time. What (or who) in particular helped you?
Pray: Offer up the needs of loved ones who are experiencing tough times right now. Pray for them!
Serve: Is there a way that you can offer fellowship or support for someone struggling? How can you lighten their load?
Mass Readings – 3rd Sunday of Easter
The power of Easter shines through the Scripture readings this week:
The disciples, freed from fear, now boldly proclaim the Good News of Jesus Christ. In fact, they wear their hardships like badges of honor – “rejoicing that they had been found worthy to suffer dishonor for the sake of the name.” (Acts 5:41)
A key point emerges: being a Christian does not mean that life will be easy. On the contrary! Striving to live in a manner worthy of Christ means that we will stand out and at times face hostility because we seek to live a Godly life. At times we will encounter obstacles, setbacks, personal failures, and perhaps even ridicule – yet even in our weaknesses and failures we draw on the strength of the Lord for grace, mercy, and life.
This strength is highlighted in the encounter between Jesus and Peter, which takes place on the shore of the Sea of Galilee after the resurrection. Peter has to face the Lord (the one he betrayed three times) and confront his own personal failure as he meets his friend and Savior. Coming to Jesus (who knows his heart) Peter admits his inadequacy even as he affirms his love for the Lord.
These readings give us hope! In tough times or smooth sailing, we turn (and return) to Christ for the wisdom and guidance we need. And if we fail, we fall facing Jesus, who will lift us back up with a grace and strength to help us in our adversity – asking only that we renew our love for the one who died and rose for our salvation.
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Note: This post was first published on April 4, 2016.
The first reading from the Acts of the Apostles reveals how the early Church, filled with the Holy Spirit, grew in numbers as the Apostles continued the ministry of Jesus. Their example becomes our inspiration today to go and make disciples for the Lord.
Mass Readings – 2nd Sunday of Easter
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Mark’s Gospel offers three different occasions where the Risen Lord appeared to fourteen disciples: Mary Magdalene, Two on the road to Emmaus and the Eleven Apostles. In these encounters we see our own human need for the time and effort necessary to grow in our faith.
Mass Readings – Saturday of the Octave of Easter
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The first reading reveals the transformation to St. Peter as the resurrection of Christ takes hold of his heart. Casting aside doubt and fear, Peter proclaims the Good News in the face of persecution and trial…reminding us that as disciples we can draw upon the same strength today.
Mass Readings – Friday of the Octave of Easter
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The readings today reveal the power of the resurrection to transform hearts and equip disciples to proclaim the Good News. Like the first Apostles, we have an opportunity every day to draw strength from the Lord for the task at hand.
Mass Readings – Thursday of the Octave of Easter
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Peter and John show how the name of Jesus brings hope and life to a beggar. Following their example, we offer our lives today as a living witness to the power of God in the world.
Mass Readings – Wednesday of the Octave of Easter
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Both Peter and Mary Magdalene reveal how Christ’s resurrection transforms our human weakness and empowers us for service in the world. We, too, are called to receive the grace of Easter into our hearts as the Lord takes the gift of our lives and equips us to proclaim the Good News.
Mass Readings – Tuesday of the Octave of Easter
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Study: Reflect on your life right now. What needs to be touched by the power of Christ’s resurrection?
Pray: The resurrection of Jesus brings power and hope to all believers; pray for God’s grace in your daily life.
Serve: How might the Good News of Christ shine through your words and actions today?
Mass Readings – 2nd Sunday of Easter
I continually marvel at the power of the Resurrection of Christ in the lives of the apostles. They are different people! Standing in the light of Easter, touching and speaking to the Risen Lord, they can’t go back – their lives are forever changed and empowered to proclaim Good News. Check this out:
Note this: it wasn’t the miracles, healings, or teachings of Jesus that brought about this change. It was the resurrection; all these people who formerly followed Jesus are transformed into a new creation by the experience of the Easter. They are freed from fear and no longer bound by sin. Their lives are shot through with grace, mercy, peace, and joy.
I want this. I want this for every person I meet, for every person I know, and certainly for my own heart. To bask in the light of Christ raised from the dead – to know that God has built a bridge that covers the gap from our weakness to the glory of Heaven – is to live with a power and conviction that brings the Lord’s life to a world in need of Good News.
So today:
Our faith is not a history lesson. Christ’s resurrection continues to bring change and renewal to our lives today. May we open our hearts to the Lord and allow Easter glory to shine in our lives.
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Note: This post was first published on March 29, 2016.
Beyond the agony of the Cross and the sorrow of the Tomb on that first day of the week the message was proclaimed: He’s Alive!
And everything changes. This group of disciples – bound by fear and selfishness – are transformed with a new strength and conviction. Their encounter with the Risen Lord will empower them to face the obstacles of this world with joy and hope. They have seen the risen Christ…what is there to fear? They have embraced the one who has conquered sin and death – there is NOTHING that can shake their confidence in the light of Easter morning.
This same strength comes to us. Like the first disciples, we can turn to Jesus and allow his saving grace to renew us with a strength far beyond our own. We can claim a hope that sustains us in the midst of our challenges and struggles. The Easter sunrise brings light to the darkest corners of our hearts.
What in our lives needs to be touched by Jesus Christ? We are invited to boldly come forward, receive his resurrection strength, and face whatever this world presents with confidence: the victory of Christ enlivens us to travel through life with the conviction that the grace he gave his disciples continues in our hearts today.
May this Easter season be a time of transformation and renewal; a time where we embrace the gift of our lives with a new freedom and conviction. In the light of this Easter, may we follow the one who leads us from sin and death to the abundance of life…in this world, and the world to come.
Happy Easter!
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