Study: Consider a time when you experienced joy in the presence of others.  What caused it?

Pray: Draw near to the Risen Lord and ask for His grace in your heart to face whatever is before you today.

Serve: How can your life strengthen your family and friendships right now?

Mass Readings – 2nd Sunday of Easter

The readings today give us a snapshot of some key points that surfaced shortly after the Lord’s resurrection:

• 1st Reading – Thankful praise and sharing in community life
• Psalm – “Give thanks to the Lord for he is good, His love is everlasting.”
• 2nd Reading – Christ’s resurrection lets us rejoice in the midst of trials
• Gospel – Doubting Thomas

What do we see?  Praise, gratitude, thankfulness, sharing, community life, overcoming doubt, facing trials, and rejoicing!  In other words, this is what happens to a group of people who have been transformed by the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

And I want to live like this.

Frankly, I want all of us to live like this.  Filled with God’s grace, empowered by the Holy Spirit, engaging life at full throttle, dealing with difficulty through the power of faith….is there any other way to live?

So…in the light of these concepts that emerged from the fledgling Church…what’s keeping us from this?  Has the resurrection of the Lord “sunk in” and touched our hearts?  Do we understand what it means to say “The Lord is risen!  He is risen, indeed!” as followers of Jesus Christ?

Do we get it?

We all have obstacles, challenges, and the reality of temptation and sin in our lives.  That was true for the Early Church as well.  But note this: they changed.  In the light of the Risen Lord their lives were forever altered: praising God, facing hardship, working together, filled with joy.

This is our invitation today, and it works in three simple steps:

1. Accept the resurrection of Jesus Christ
2. Bring the Lord’s power into your heart
3. Change whatever is not worthy of Heaven and live in his Light

There is no better way to journey through this life!

***************

Archive of Fr. Andrew’s Podcasts

***************

Note: This post was first published on April 17, 2017.