How do I discern the voice of Jesus when I am surrounded by a cacophony of voices?
Here’s how: The voice of Jesus prompts me to love, forgive, let go, help out, be generous. The voice of Jesus calls me to peace, nonviolence, reconciliation, compassion. The voice of Jesus comforts, heals, reassures, encourages.
May I listen to the voice of Jesus. May my voice echo his.
Jesus said: “My sheep hear my voice;
I know them, and they follow me.” John 10:27
John 21:1-19
It only takes a moment to recognize the Lord. May I keep my eyes, ears, and heart open to realize he is here and I am with him.
Jesus said to them, “Come, have breakfast.” And none of the disciples dared to ask him, “Who are you?” because they realized it was the Lord. John 21:12
Caravaggio (1571-1610)
Doubting Thomas
oil on canvas, ca.1601-1602
Potsdam, Sanssouci
I am called by faith to investigate my wounds—betrayal, shame, illness, fear, grief, depression—and find therein the Risen Jesus. And I am also called by faith to honor the wounds of others and find therein the Risen Jesus.
Today I will find peace in the presence of the Risen Jesus despite the many wounds of the human family.
Jesus came, although the doors were locked, and stood in their midst and said, “Peace be with you.”
Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here and see my hands, and bring your hand and put it into my side, and do not be unbelieving, but believe.”
John 20:26a-27
Rembrandt (1606-1669)
Christ Resurrected
Oil on canvas, 1661
Munich, Alte Pinakothek
Like Mary, I am going in search of Jesus. The path is sometimes dark with pain and sorrow, uncertainty and discouragement, suffering and anxiety. What I bring with me—hope, love, faith, compassion, kindness, respect, forgiveness, peace—is what I am searching for. I follow the way, even in darkness, to find the Way.
On the first day of the week, Mary of Magdala came to the tomb early in the morning, while it was still dark, and saw the stone removed from the tomb. John 20:1
![Andrey Mironov oil on cnavas, 2010(Own work) [CC BY-SA 3.0], via Wikimedia Commons](http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Appearances_of_Jesus_Christ..jpg)
Andrey Mironov
Peace be with you! (Christ appearing to the apostles)
oil on canavas, 2010
[CC BY-SA 3.0], via Wikimedia Commons
Today I will open my mind to hear the call of God’s word.
Then [Jesus] opened their minds to understand the Scriptures. Luke 24:45
Jacek Andrzej Rossakiewicz (b.1956)
Jesus Appears to Thomas (St John Passion – 13), 1990
oil on canvas
Do not be afraid when your heart has closed down. Do not worry when your mind races in panic. Do not resist the darkness of confusion. The Lord finds his way through every obstacle to bring you peace.
Be at peace. He is here with you now.
Jesus came, although the doors were locked, and stood in their midst and said, “Peace be with you.” John 20:26b
Sometimes the way is still dark and I have no clarity. In these moments, I need to keep moving toward the Lord. Some day I will understand.
For they did not yet understand the Scripture
that he had to rise from the dead. John 20:9
Easter Sunday 2015
The promise of new life is fulfilled. Alleluia!
Hermano León
Domingo V de Pascua
[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
With all the natural disasters, wars, abuse, cruelty, greed, illness, poverty, and loneliness in the world, sometimes my heart is troubled.
Yet if I have faith in in the pure, unconditional love and goodness of God, then I need to invite Jesus, the Compassion of God, to be my companion. I need to have faith that his example will show me the Way through the messy human condition. I need to have faith in the Truth of God’s mercy and forgiveness. I need to have faith in the gift of LIfe eternal.
Henry Ossawa Tanner (1859-1937)
Two Disciples at the Tomb, ca.1906
oil on canvas
Art Institute of Chicago
via Wikimedia Commons
When Simon Peter arrived after [the other disciple], 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. John 20:6-7
I imagine Jesus chuckling as he neatly rolls the cloth that had covered his head and leaves it conspicuously separate from the other burial cloths. He knows his disciples are in for a big surprise. And he knows they will be puzzled, dismayed—and hopeful.
The resurrection of Jesus always points me to hope. Hope in change. Hope in the unknown. Hope in God’s gentle guidance and infinite love.
Mary Ann McSweeny 