People's Prayers: Prayers of the People: Rising to the Occasion and Beyond ~ 2nd Sunday of Easter '24 Yr B

Monday, April 1, 2024

Prayers of the People: Rising to the Occasion and Beyond ~ 2nd Sunday of Easter '24 Yr B

For Sunday, April 07, 2024, Readings: Acts 4:32-35, Psalm 133, 1 John 1:1-2:2, John 20:19-31

With great power the apostles gave their testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and a great grace was upon them all. [Acts 4:33]

Oh how good and pleasant it is, when brethren live together in unity! [Psalm 133:1]

...if we walk in the light, as he himself is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, cleanses us all from sin. [1 John 1:7]

But Thomas...was not with them when Jesus came....[and] he said to them, "Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands, and put my finger in his side, I will not believe..." [Jesus] said to him, "Have you [now] believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe." [John 20:24, 25b, 29]

Thomas is the ultimate skeptic, a patron saint for all of us who are skeptical of many claims of various types. He carries the load for those among us who are reluctant to admit to doubts about faith, questions about God, or wondering about events recorded in the Bible. By the way, the other Apostles also doubted briefly [see Luke 24:1-12] ~ so we who have had our own doubts are all in good company. And the company we are in is also the point ~ those who knew Jesus in their own lifetimes came together as a faith community sharing joy, fellowship, and the necessities of life as followers before and after Christ's Resurrection. Then, and in many succeeding generations, those we speak of as early Christians faced tremendous fear and the reality of vicious persecution as many Christians, and many members of other faith traditions, still do today. The continuous re-telling and re-living of our story keeps us connected by remembering the why of our faith even in those moments of faint acceptance or full unbelief.

Easter, however, isn't merely a day or a season, it is meant to be our way of life, as Easter People. From the beginning of Advent we are preparing the way for and seeking the glory and joy of the Resurrection, achieved through the great sacrifice and pain that we are to have experienced through the readings of Holy Week and, Good Friday in particular.

While the penitential season of Lent has given way to the joy of Easter, we are to continue to re-examine the manner in which we live our lives through our thoughts, words, and actions with and for everyone we meet. It is in fellowship, in a trusting faith community, that we remember, walk in, and reflect the light he himself is, with peace and the Holy Spirit within us. It is also a place where doubts are accepted without reproach as who among us, but the rare one or two, hasn’t doubted these events if briefly or frequently?

In these still confusing and difficult times, let us work together to keep and dispense Christ’s message of Peace be with you, as we strive for unity and love wherever we are. Despite deep divisions among humans, and our own now and then doubts, through our companioning and fellowship with one another, God's truth within us, and living in Christ's name, we can rise along with Christ and each other to new heights of faith ~ undoubtedly! And oh how good and pleasant it is to rise to this glorious occasion in our own lifetime and live in it far beyond this one.

LET US, GOD’S PEOPLE, PRAY

Leader: ~ Holy Christ, our Lord and our Messiah, release us from the stifling darkness of the sin and doubt of our own making, to accept the cleansing of our souls by Your Resurrection that bolsters our faith and fellowship in Your Name, through every facet of life.

Jesus, Light and Peace of God

RESPONSE: Raise us to new heights in Faith

~ Holy Christ, our Lord and our Messiah, awaken Your great grace within us and especially in all the Lawmakers of our World, our Country, and our Community. Activate a deep desire to pursue unity in peace, health, and well-being, so that no one, anywhere, is further ravaged by war, poverty, disease, or any desperate need. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

Jesus, Light and Peace of God