Category Archives: Easter

Peace and hope

This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad. Psalm 118:24

May the peace, hope, and hush of Easter enter our hearts and bless us today and always.

Fools for Christ

1 Corinthians 4:10-13

They anointed and wrapped his dead body, and placed it with sorrow and reverence in an empty tomb.

And in a spectacular display of God’s power and love, Jesus played the greatest April Fool prank of all: He rose from the dead.

When Simon Peter arrived after him, he went into the tomb and saw the burial cloths there, and the cloth that had covered his head, not with the burial cloths but rolled up in a separate place. Then the other disciple also went in, the one who had arrived at the tomb first, and he saw and believed.
John 20:6-8

All together now

Simone Cantarini, 1612-1648
Holy Trinity, 17th c.
Biblioteca Nacional do Brasil

God’s Holy Spirit lives and breathes with, in, and through us. We are in the Lord, the Lord is in us. We are dependent upon the Lord, and the Lord depends on us to be the eyes and ears and hands and hearts of God’s love and compassion in the world.

[Jesus said to his disciples,] “On that day you will realize that I am in my Father and you are in me and I in you.” John 14:20

Like this

Jacek Andrzej Rossakiewicz, 1956-2016
The Prayer of Jesus
oil on canvas, 1990

Faith to walk the way of peace and nonviolence and forgiveness.

Faith to be guided by the truth of our common humanity that demands generosity towards the poor and compassion for the suffering.

Faith to choose life with, in, and from the healing power of love.

Jesus said to his disciples: “Do not let your hearts be troubled. You have faith in God; have faith also in me.” John 14:1

Whose voice

Berger afar en pied
Marion Lavabre, 2009

Today I will listen for the voice of the Lord in sacred Scripture, in the quiet of alone time, in the rhythm of nature.

I will let the love and compassion of the Lord’s voice drown out the voices of fear and doubt that attempt to lure me from the peace of God’s presence.

The shepherd… walks ahead of them, and the sheep follow him, because they recognize his voice. John 10:4

Draw near

Diego Velázquez (1599-1660)
Kitchen Scene with the Supper in Emmaus
oil on canvas, ca.1618
National Gallery of Ireland

Fatigue. Fear. Self-absorption. Indifference. These are conditions that prevent me from recognizing the Lord in the people I meet.

Today I will put my attention on the Lord and ask for the grace to recognize the Lord in every member of God’s human family.

And it happened that while they were conversing and debating, Jesus himself drew near and walked with them, but their eyes were prevented from recognizing him. Luke 24:15-16

Who’s in charge

JESUS MAFA. Empty Tomb, from Art in the Christian Tradition, a project of the Vanderbilt Divinity Library, Nashville, TN. [retrieved April 16, 2017]

God triumphs over death, proving once and for all who is in charge of life and all that lives.

May I put my trust in the Lord, even when it seems like world events are out of control.

[The angel said to the women,] “Do not be afraid! I know that you are seeking Jesus the crucified. He is not here, for he has been raised just as he said.” Matthew 28:5-6a

One

Dibujo de Jesucristo, en acuarela. Parque de la Exposición. Lima, Perú.By Dtarazona (Own work) [GFDL], via Wikimedia Commons

Dibujo de Jesucristo, en acuarela. Parque de la Exposición. Lima, Perú.
By Dtarazona (Own work) [GFDL], via Wikimedia Commons

One in our intention to love our neighbor as ourselves. One in our desire to do unto others as we would have others do unto us. One in our commitment to the way of love, nonviolence, forgiveness, respect, healing, reconciliation, and peace.

Today I will honor the One in each and every member of our human family.

[Jesus prayed, saying,] “And I have given them the glory you gave me, so that they may be one, as we are one, I in them and you in me, that they may be brought to perfection as one.” John 17:22-23a

A holy reminder

6º DOMINGO DE PASCUAI do my best to keep the word of Jesus: to love my neighbor, pray for my enemies, feed the hungry, shelter the homeless, comfort the ill, welcome those I don’t know, forgive those who hurt me.

And when I forget, the Holy Spirit nudges me—a gentle tug at my heart, maybe, or it could be a spotlight shining on my selfishness. The Holy Spirit’s nudges show me the way to holy wholeness where I become a collaborator in the community of Love.

[Jesus said to his disciples:] “The Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything and remind you of all that I told you.” John 14:26

Being love

MamaTI can practice loving actions—patience, unselfishness, generosity, forgiveness, respect, acceptance, courtesy, encouragement, feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, comforting the ill and grieving.

These loving practices help transform me into a new being, a person who is committed to the way of Jesus, a human being who makes the loving choice over the selfish one.

Someday, maybe, I hope, I won’t have to think so hard about the loving choice and I’ll be on my way to being love instead of doing love.

[Jesus said:] “I give you a new commandment: love one another. As I have loved you, so you also should love one another. This is how all will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” John 13:34-35