Tag: Peace be with you

3rd Sunday of Easter – 15 Apr – Luke 24:35-48 ~ disbelief, joy and wonder

The Third Sunday of Easter

+ In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen!

Opening Prayer

God of life, in your risen Son you reveal your abiding presence among us and summon us to lives of worship and service. Fill us with thanksgiving and praise as we approach you in prayer. Grant us courage and joy in bearing witness before the world to your Son, Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with you now and always in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God for ever and ever. Amen.
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“Open Up the Heavens” – Meredith Andrews


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Gospel Reading: Luke 24:35-48 (NLT)

Then the two from Emmaus told their story of how Jesus had appeared to them as they were walking along the road, and how they had recognized him as he was breaking the bread. And just as they were telling about it, Jesus himself was suddenly standing there among them. “Peace be with you,” he said. But the whole group was startled and frightened, thinking they were seeing a ghost!

“Why are you frightened?” he asked. “Why are your hearts filled with doubt? Look at my hands. Look at my feet. You can see that it’s really me. Touch me and make sure that I am not a ghost, because ghosts don’t have bodies, as you see that I do.” As he spoke, he showed them his hands and his feet.

Still they stood there in disbelief, filled with joy and wonder. Then he asked them, “Do you have anything here to eat?” They gave him a piece of broiled fish, and he ate it as they watched.

Then he said, “When I was with you before, I told you that everything written about me in the law of Moses and the prophets and in the Psalms must be fulfilled.” Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures. And he said, “Yes, it was written long ago that the Messiah would suffer and die and rise from the dead on the third day. It was also written that this message would be proclaimed in the authority of his name to all the nations, beginning in Jerusalem: ‘There is forgiveness of sins for all who repent.’ You are witnesses of all these things.
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Prayers of Intercession:

God our Savior: Rescue us from all our distress; we ask especially –

+ That believers everywhere who suffer for their faith may have courage and perseverance…. Lord, hear us.
+ That missionaries everywhere may have the conviction and enthusiasm of the early disciples…. Lord, hear us.
+ That fishermen and all who work on the sea may receive your protection…. Lord, hear us.
+ That farmers may receive just reward for their investment of time and energy…. Lord, hear us.
+ That those who prepare and serve food may themselves receive your sustenance…. Lord, hear us.
+ That the vision of heaven given in the Scriptures may inspire the sick and comfort the dying…. Lord, hear us.
+ That those who have died in Christ may join those gathered around the heavenly throne…. Lord, hear us.

Gracious God: Have mercy on your people and guide us all the days of our life, through Christ our Lord. Amen.
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“All Things New” – Elevation Worship


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Blessing – Revelation 21:3-4 (NLT)

“Look, God’s home is now among his people! He will live with them, and they will be his people. God himself will be with them. He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone forever.”
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+ In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen!

2nd Sunday of Easter, 23 Apr – John 20:19-31 ~ sent to serve and save

Second Sunday of Easter

+ In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen!

Opening Prayer

Heavenly Father, you gather your people on the Lord’s Day to celebrate the One who is the First and the Last, the living One who conquered death. Grant us the strength of your Spirit so that, having broken the chains of evil, calmed our fears and indecision, we may render the free service of our obedience and love, and reign in glory with Christ.
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Reading: John 20:19-31 (NLT)

That Sunday evening the disciples were meeting behind locked doors because they were afraid of the Jewish leaders. Suddenly, Jesus was standing there among them! “Peace be with you,” he said. As he spoke, he showed them the wounds in his hands and his side. They were filled with joy when they saw the Lord! Again he said, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I am sending you.” Then he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive anyone’s sins, they are forgiven. If you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven.”

Jesus Appears to Thomas

One of the twelve disciples, Thomas (nicknamed the Twin), was not with the others when Jesus came. They told him, “We have seen the Lord!”

But he replied, “I won’t believe it unless I see the nail wounds in his hands, put my fingers into them, and place my hand into the wound in his side.”

Eight days later the disciples were together again, and this time Thomas was with them. The doors were locked; but suddenly, as before, Jesus was standing among them. “Peace be with you,” he said. Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here, and look at my hands. Put your hand into the wound in my side. Don’t be faithless any longer. Believe!”

“My Lord and my God!” Thomas exclaimed.

Then Jesus told him, “You believe because you have seen me. Blessed are those who believe without seeing me.”

Purpose of the Book

The disciples saw Jesus do many other miraculous signs in addition to the ones recorded in this book. But these are written so that you may continue to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing in him you will have life by the power of his name.
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Reflection & Prayer:

Lord God: I believe that Jesus is the Messiah, your Son, and that through him I will have life, now and forever, by the power of his name.

“As the Father has sent me, so I am sending you.”

  • Thank you for including even me in your commission to bring the Good News of the Gospel to the whole world.
  • Show me how I can bring the Good News of the Gospel to the people right here in my neighborhood.

“Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive anyone’s sins, they are forgiven.
If you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven.”

  • Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me a sinner.
  • As freely as I have received your forgiveness, may I freely give that same forgiveness to others.

“Blessed are those who believe without seeing me.”

  • Give me a servant’s heart and a willing spirit to respond to the needs of the people around me.
  • Make me a credible witness to the saving, transforming, power in the name of Jesus.

Lord God: strengthen me by the power of your Spirit that I may join you in your mission to serve and save the world. Through my Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, in unity with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Soli Deo gloria!
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“Come As You Are” – David Crowder


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Concluding Prayer

I thank you Jesus, my Lord and my God,

  • that you have loved me and called me, made me worthy to be your disciple,
  • that you have given me the Spirit, the One sent to proclaim and witness to your resurrection, to the mercy of the Father, to salvation and pardon for all men and women in the world.

You truly are the way, the truth and the life, the dawn without a setting, the sun of justice and peace.

  • Grant that I may dwell in your love, bound to you like a branch to its vine.
  • Grant me your peace so that I may overcome my weaknesses, face my doubts and respond to your call and live fully the mission you entrusted to me, praising you forever.

You who live and reign forever and ever. Amen.
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+ In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen!

3rd Sunday of Easter: Acts 3:13-15, 17-19; Ps 4:2, 4, 7-9; 1 Jn 2:1-5; Lk 24:35-48 ~ joyful wonder

Third Sunday of Easter

+ In the name the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen

Opening prayer:

God of all the prophets, You fulfilled Your promise of old that Your Christ would suffer and so rise to glory. Open our minds to understand the Scriptures and fill us with joyful wonder in the presence of the risen Christ, that we may be His witnesses to the farthest reaches of the earth. We ask this through Jesus Christ, the firstborn from the dead, who lives and reigns with You now and always in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God for ever and ever.
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A Reading from the Book of Acts: Acts 3:13-15, 17-19 (NLT)

“Resurrection” by Slovenian sculptor Andrej Ajdič, placed in Medjugorje, 1998
“Resurrection”
by Slovenian sculptor Andrej Ajdič, placed in Medjugorje, 1998

For it is the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob — the God of all our ancestors — who has brought glory to his servant Jesus by doing this. This is the same Jesus whom you handed over and rejected before Pilate, despite Pilate’s decision to release him. You rejected this holy, righteous one and instead demanded the release of a murderer. You killed the author of life, but God raised him from the dead. And we are witnesses of this fact!
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“Friends, I realize that what you and your leaders did to Jesus was done in ignorance. But God was fulfilling what all the prophets had foretold about the Messiah — that he must suffer these things. Now repent of your sins and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped away.
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A Reading from the Psalms: Psalm 4:2, 4, 7-9 (NLT)

How long will you people ruin my reputation? How long will you make groundless accusations? How long will you continue your lies?
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Don’t sin by letting anger control you. Think about it overnight and remain silent.
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You have given me greater joy than those who have abundant harvests of grain and new wine. In peace I will lie down and sleep, for you alone, O Lord, will keep me safe.
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A Reading from the Letters: 1 John 2:1-5 (NLT)

My dear children, I am writing this to you so that you will not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate who pleads our case before the Father. He is Jesus Christ, the one who is truly righteous. He himself is the sacrifice that atones for our sins — and not only our sins but the sins of all the world.

And we can be sure that we know him if we obey his commandments. If someone claims, “I know God,” but doesn’t obey God’s commandments, that person is a liar and is not living in the truth. But those who obey God’s word truly show how completely they love him. That is how we know we are living in him.
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A Reading from the Gospels: Luke 24:35-48  (NLT)

Then the two from Emmaus told their story of how Jesus had appeared to them as they were walking along the road, and how they had recognized him as he was breaking the bread. And just as they were telling about it, Jesus himself was suddenly standing there among them. “Peace be with you,” he said. But the whole group was startled and frightened, thinking they were seeing a ghost!

jesus_hands

“Why are you frightened?” he asked. “Why are your hearts filled with doubt? Look at my hands. Look at my feet. You can see that it’s really me. Touch me and make sure that I am not a ghost, because ghosts don’t have bodies, as you see that I do.” As he spoke, he showed them his hands and his feet.

Still they stood there in disbelief, filled with joy and wonder. Then he asked them, “Do you have anything here to eat?” They gave him a piece of broiled fish, and he ate it as they watched.

Then he said, “When I was with you before, I told you that everything written about me in the law of Moses and the prophets and in the Psalms must be fulfilled.” Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures. And he said, “Yes, it was written long ago that the Messiah would suffer and die and rise from the dead on the third day. It was also written that this message would be proclaimed in the authority of his name to all the nations, beginning in Jerusalem: ‘There is forgiveness of sins for all who repent.’ You are witnesses of all these things.
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Intercessions:

The Lord grants favors to those whom he loves. Lord, hear our prayers:

+ For all who follow Christ – that our faith in the resurrection of Jesus may deepen…. Lord, hear us.
+ For those who renewed their baptismal promises at Easter – that any lingering doubts may be dispersed…. Lord, hear us.
+ For missionaries and all who spread the Good News about Jesus – that the joy of Easter may give them fresh zeal…. Lord, hear us.
+ For Christians who suffer for their faith – that the Risen Lord may give them courage…. Lord, hear us.
+ For the Jewish people, the descendants of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob – that they may arrive at the fullness of redemption…. Lord, hear us.
+ For people who suffer, in mind, body or spirit – that they may experience divine healing and new strength…. Lord, hear us.
+ For those who have recently died in Christ – that God’s light may shine on them perpetually…. Lord, hear us.

O God our salvation, Your glory shines throughout the world to bring joy to Your people: hear our prayers and grant us Your all-powerful grace, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
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Benediction:

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope. (Romans 15:13)

+ In the Name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen