One another, Easter2C

April 27, 2025

Acts 5:12-16; Psalm 118 [117]; Apocalypse 1:9-13,17-19; John 20:19-31

As we remember the story of God’s gracious presence with us through life and death, we lift our prayers on behalf of all creation:

For the Church, that renewed through word and sacrament, we may radiate the light of Christ, be strong in faith, confident in hope, and abounding with love for God and neighbor: let us pray to the Lord.

For all the newly baptized, that they may faithfully follow Jesus, grow in their love for God, and keep the light of Christ burning brightly in their lives: let us pray to the Lord.

For all children, hat God will keep them safe from all harm, help them grow and develop their gifts, and celebrate the gift of life each day: let us pray to the Lord.

For all believers that Christ will pour out the Spirit upon us and enable us to continue the mission of bringing hope, meaning, and love to all in our society: let us pray to the lord.

For all the human family, that Christ’s victory over death may bring hope and a new beginning to all who suffer from war and violence, are burdened by poverty, confronted by prejudice, or live in fear: let us pray to the Lord.

For all who find themselves confused, doubting their faith, or walking in darkness that they may experience the Risen Lord who brings light and hope to hearts: let us pray to the Lord.

For all gathered in prayer this day that we who have been washed in the waters of life, may continue to grow in God’s life and be signs of God’s presence to all in our lives: let us pray to the Lord.

For healing of hearts and relationships that the Risen Lord will open the path to reconciliation and healing amongst families, communities, and nations: let us pray to the Lord.

For all who are away from home this Easter, particularly members of the military and relief workers that God will protect from harm, guide their service, and bring them home safely: let us pray to the Lord.

For greater respect and appreciation of human life that we may recognize God’s gift of life in everyone and strive to honor and support that life in each person that we meet: let us pray to the Lord.

For all who have fled homes because of violence, fear, or natural disasters, that God will guide them to safely, give them hope, and touch the hearts of many to welcome and support them: let us pray to the Lord.

For all who are burdened by sickness, disease, or chronic illness, that the healing Spirit of the risen Christ may bring light and wholeness to them: let us pray to the Lod.

For greater stewardship of God’s creation, that we may work to use earth’s resources prudently and preserve them for the good of future generations: let us pray to the Lord.

For nations in turmoil, that God will break the cycles of violence and discord, end acts of revenge, protect the innocent, and raise leaders who will establish peace and justice in areas of conflict: let us pray to the Lord.

For peace, that the Risen Lord will give each of us peace of mind and heart, relief from stress and pressure, and renew our spirits so that we may live life fully each day: let us pray to the Lord.

God of salvation, your wisdom and compassion guide us in the midst of pain and grief,

in the midst of temptation and fear. Through your resurrection power heal our sorrow and uplift us in delight, that we may know that fulfillment of your promise in our restoration to wholeness. Amen.

References

-United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. (2025ai, April 27). Second Sunday of Easter. USCCB. https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/042725.cfm

-Cormier, J. (1995). Lord, Hear Our Prayer: Prayer of the Faithful for Sundays, Holy Days, and Ritual Masses.

SOCL, EasterC

Sunday April 20, 2025

See

We race toward evidence but hesitate at the threshold of belief. Like the beloved disciple, we arrive first—eager, breathless with anticipation—yet pause at the entrance, unwilling to fully enter the empty space where certainty once lived. Our curiosity carries us to the edge, but something primal holds us back from the final step.

The folded burial cloths sit in silent testimony. What strikes us isn't the miracle but the orderliness of it—not chaos but intention, not theft but transition. The abandoned grave clothes, meticulously arranged, reveal more than absence; they speak of purpose. We expect disruption in transformation, yet the most profound changes often leave behind a mysterious order we struggle to comprehend.

The fastest runner doesn't always see most clearly. Peter arrives second but enters first, his impulsive courage compensating for his slower pace. Meanwhile, the one who witnesses from the threshold ultimately believes more deeply. Our understanding follows no predictable timeline—some grasp truth in an instant while others require physical immersion in the emptiness before comprehension dawns.

Listen

Acts 10:34, 37-43; Psalm 118 (117); Colossians 3:1-4; John 20:1-9

Reflect

(John 20:1-9)

When have you rushed toward something you desperately wanted to understand, only to hesitate at the final moment? Consider times when you've stood at the threshold of transformation—seeing evidence but struggling to take that final step into belief or action.

The disciples encountered an empty space where they expected to find death and closure. How might the unexpected absences or losses in your life actually be invitations to a new kind of presence or understanding you haven't yet recognized?

What carefully folded "burial cloths" exist in your life—signs of intention and purpose amid apparent absence? How might paying attention to the order within chaos help you recognize the difference between loss and transformation?

Pray

Lord, your design remains when all else appears vacant. Grant us courage to enter empty spaces that terrify us, wisdom to distinguish between theft and transformation, and patience with ourselves and others as understanding unfolds at its own pace. May we recognize your fingerprints in the folded cloths of our unraveling certainties.

The Word today, EasterC

April 21 - April 26, 2025

Monday 21 April

Acts 2:14, 22-33 The cross was a shock to the first Christians and so was the resurrection. In this speech of Peter, we “overhear” the first disciples using the Old Testament—especially the psalms—to understand what had taken place. The primary proclamation is focused on Jesus of Nazareth.

Matthew 28:8-15 The central proclamation—Jesus’ appearance to the women at the tomb—is unique to Matthew. In effect, it places the previous proclamation of the angel on the very lips of Jesus himself. In this way, Matthew—ever the teacher—make the implicit explicit.

Tuesday 22 April

Acts 2:36-41 The opening verse is really the climax of yesterday’s reading. The rest responds to the question: if the Easter proclamation is true, what difference should it make and what should we do?

John 20:11-18 The question in today’s gospel is powerful: “Who are you looking for?” With this question the Gospel comes full circle, because the very first words of Jesus in this Gospel are “What are you looking for? The shift from “what” to “who” marks the Christian journey. We are not looking for philosophy but a person.

Wednesday 23 April

Acts 3:1-10 The healing at the Beautiful Gate of the Temple. Already in Acts 2:43 we read: Reverential awe came over everyone, and many wonders and miraculous signs came about by the apostles. This story is not just a healing from the past but a metaphor for the present, offered to us today as believers who may feel paralysed.

Luke 24:13-35 The disciples on the road to Emmaus is a powerful account. At the centre stands a recognition/ accusation of “slowness of heart”, that is, resistance to the Easter proclamation. As we listen, we hear the stages or marks of an authentic journey to spiritual insight and faith.

Thursday 24 April

Acts 3:11-26 Sometimes Christians today feel that the God of the Old Testament is somehow a different God. In contrast, the early Christians felt a very strong desire to show that the surprising outcome of Jesus life and ministry—his death and resurrection—was actually and in fact a fulfilment of things foreshadowed in the Old Testament. God’s continued fidelity was an important part of their faith.

Luke 24:35-48 Our Gospel today evokes several resurrection themes: failure to recognise the risen Lord, the gift of peace and the confirmation of the reality of the resurrection. Perhaps, however, the very last lines speak directly to us today: in his name, repentance for the forgiveness of sins would be preached to all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem. You are witnesses to this.

Friday 25 April

Acts 4:1-12 The religious authorities of the time were against the teaching of resurrection at all and very much against saying Jesus was risen. These are the very same people who brought about the crucifixion of Jesus. Here Peter, using the Old Testament, make the case for the resurrection of Jesus.

John 21:1-14 Chapter 21—an early addition to John —reminds us of the three-fold denial of Peter by means of his three-fold restoration. The fishing scene takes us back to the original call of Peter and his brothers. That earlier call is still “valid” and at the same time strengthened in the light of the resurrection.

Saturday 26 April

Acts 4:13-21 The early Christians experienced opposition—but this only strengthened their courage. Anyhow, it looks as though those who were against them were “flummoxed” as we say!

Mark 16:9-15 These few verses—a very late addition to the Gospel text and not from Mark— form a kind of late synthesis of disparate material. Nevertheless, the Great Commission is repeated, for them and for us.

References

-United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. (2025ag, April 20). The Resurrection of the Lord. USCCB. https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/042025.cfm

-Sunday readings. (n.d.-s). Hearers of the Word. https://www.tarsus.ie/SundayReadings