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[Jesus] stood in their midst and said to them, “Peace be with you.” Luke 24:36b
Peace is a gift from the Lord.
May I let go of worry, efforts to control others, fear of the future, dissatisfaction with the present, resentment, and blame.
Today may I graciously accept the Lord’s gift of peace.
Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you.”
John 20:21a
Jesus repeats it to be sure we get the message: “Peace be with you.”
This is the Lord of peace and reconciliation, the Lord of forgiveness and compassion, the Lord of comfort and mercy.
Lord, fill me with your peace and compassion today.
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
She probably couldn’t sleep from grief. She got up at the first possible moment and went to care for the body of Jesus. And he was gone.
When did she let go of the fear that someone had snatched his body and begin to hope he had risen from the dead?
Lord, help me to choose hope over fear. Let me rejoice in the gifts of today.
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Icon of the Resurrection
This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad.
Psalm 118:24
Today is a gift from God. May I open my eyes, ears, and heart to find reasons to rejoice and be glad in it.
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
You can’t keep the Lord closed up, locked up, buried, or hidden. Jesus goes where he wants, when he wants, to whom he wants. His presence proclaims and reminds us of God’s undying love for each of us. Be prepared to be surprised: the Lord walks among us.
Caravaggio (1571-1610)
The Incredulity of Saint Thomas
oil on canvas, from 1601 until 1602
Sanssouci Picture Gallery
I am learning to identify and make friends with my mental, physical, emotional, and spiritual wounds. Although some are still open, these wounds are proof of my ability to survive, begin the work of healing, and live again. They teach me compassion, too, by opening my eyes and heart to recognize the wounds of others.
Today I pray for the grace to be gentle with wounded humanity. May I be willing to reach out to touch God’s holy Spirit in each of us.
Then [Jesus] 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 20:27
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
JESUS MAFA. Empty Tomb, from Art in the Christian Tradition, a project of the Vanderbilt Divinity Library, Nashville, TN. [retrieved April 16, 2017]
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
![Dibujo de Jesucristo, en acuarela. Parque de la Exposición. Lima, Perú.By Dtarazona (Own work) [GFDL], via Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Jesuscristo_acuarela_05072009.JPG)
Dibujo de Jesucristo, en acuarela. Parque de la Exposición. Lima, Perú.
By Dtarazona (Own work) [GFDL], via Wikimedia Commons
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
I 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
Mary Ann McSweeny 