Prayers of the People: Again and Always Risen! Indeed! ~ Easter Day '23 Yr A

Readings for Sunday, April 9, 2023: Acts 10:34-43; Ps 118:1-2, 14-24; Colossians 3:1-4; John 20:1-18

   God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power...he went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him. [Acts 10:38]

   On this day the LORD has acted; we will rejoice and be glad in it. [Psalm 118:24]

   Since you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is...Set your minds on the things that are above, not on things that are on earth... [Colossians 3:1a, 2a]

    Jesus said to her, “Mary!” She turned and said to him in Hebrew, “Rabbouni” (which means Teacher)…Jesus said to her…”go to my brothers and say to them I am ascending to my Father…” Mary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples...”I have seen the Lord…” [John 20:16-18]

        EASTER is here! Hallelujah!! Christ IS Risen!!! Wherever you are on this planet whether bursting into Spring, slipping into Autumn, or somewhere in between, today our Salvation is assured, again and still, through our faith in this Risen Lord of All.

        There are four Gospel accounts of the death and resurrection of Jesus. This year we hear from the Gospel of John who tells us of Mary the Magdalene’s weeping at the tomb and, looking in, seeing two angels sitting where the body of Jesus had been placed. The angels asked why she was weeping. She turned around and saw Jesus but didn’t recognize him at first and then she did…

       What does Easter actually mean to you? How would you describe it? Which of the four Gospel stories is closest to your memory or has greater impact for you in your daily life? Listening to and reading different accounts of the same event can give us a fresh perspective and a new experience of the moment.

       Take the time in this Easter season and read all 4 of the Gospel accounts of the resurrection of Jesus*, perhaps in a small group. Read them all in several different translations. Reflect on what surprises you and what questions arise. Notice the similarities and differences. Wonder, and try to decide, if one account speaks to you more than another and why? Or perhaps you'll mix and match the Gospel writers' accounts to arrive at your own version. Visualize yourself in the time and place. Whatever you do, ask yourself: So what? What does it all mean for my life today, tomorrow, and beyond? What will I do ~ or stop doing ~ as a result of reflecting on Christ's Death and Resurrection? 

      The late Thomas Merton, who became a Trappist Monk after being a world traveler in his early life, says in his book, He is Risen, “Christ is the Lord of a history that moves. He not only holds the beginning and the end in his hands, but he is in history with us, walking ahead of us to where we are going…True encounter with Christ liberates something in us, a power that we did not know we had, a hope, a capacity for life, resilience, an ability to bounce back when we thought we were completely defeated, a capacity to grow and change, a power of creative transformation.” How important are these words in these times, for you?

     Let’s seek fresh joy, that "creative transformation" that Merton speaks of. I want to dust off and resurrect my faith, and meet and be liberated by Christ beyond the tomb. While I firmly believe that the resurrection of Easter requires the Cross of Good Friday, as Christ is moving with us and before us, our path, though not easy, will surely lead us into the eternal Easter of Salvation and life everlasting. Choirs of angels await…   And while you’re at it, don’t forget to be in touch with those for whom the Church is always distant and unattainable, who are isolated by age, illness, physical distance, and other reasons. A phone call, a note, a mail-ordered or delivered Easter basket will go a long way to keeping Christ present in their absence from us…a little taste of heaven goes a long way. He IS Risen! He is ALWAYS RISEN! Hallelujah!

*The Resurrection accounts: Matthew 28:1-20, Mark 16:1-20, Luke 24:1-12 [13-44], John 20:1-18 For different translations, see https://www.biblegateway.com/. Just search on the passages listed and choose from a large number of translations. Some listed such as The Good News Bible, The Living Bible, The Message, etc., are not translations but paraphrases by authors choosing to make the more formal Scriptural language somewhat easier to relate the translations to everyday thoughts and speaking. It often helps in reverse by turning back to the Scripture to understand it more clearly.

LET US, GOD’S PEOPLE, PRAY

Leader:  ~ O Christ, Risen! On this Day the Lord has acted! We will rejoice and be glad in it. In the midst of the darkness and fear in this world, let us revel in the Divine Light of Your Glorious Resurrection.

                                               Hallelujah! Christ is Risen!

                  Response:      Jesus is risen indeed! Hallelujah!

~ O Christ, Risen! Especially in these uncertain times, grant ever increasing amounts of prudence, integrity of purpose, compassion, and mercy, to all the political leaders of this Earth, this Nation, and this Community. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

 

                                               Hallelujah! Christ is Risen!

                                               Jesus is risen indeed! Hallelujah!

~ O Christ, Risen! Lavish Your healing grace and hope upon all who are ailing in body, mind, or spirit, and all who give them daily care. We now join our voices to pray aloud for those in need… add your own petitions

                                               Hallelujah! Christ is Risen!

                                               Jesus is risen indeed! Hallelujah!    

~ O Christ, Risen! Our grateful hearts commend to You those we love, who have risen with You into the heavenly peace and splendor of life everlasting. We pray especially for… add your own petitions

 

                                               Hallelujah! Christ is Risen!

                                               Jesus is risen indeed! Hallelujah!

~ O Christ, Risen! We pause in this moment to offer You our other heartfelt thanksgivings, intercessions, petitions, and memorials, aloud or silently… add your own petitions

                                               Hallelujah! Christ is Risen!

                                               Jesus is risen indeed! Hallelujah!             

~ O Christ, Risen! Infuse the leaders of Your Church with limitless energy and interior peace, as they strive in ever more creative ways, to guide our prayer and encourage us to follow Your Truth. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

                                               Hallelujah! Christ is Risen!

                                               Jesus is risen indeed! Hallelujah!

  

The Celebrant adds: Holy Redeemer Christ, Resurrected in Glory, in dying You destroyed our mortal death; in rising You claimed salvation for our souls. Release us from temporal distractions that entomb us in this earthly life, and set us again on the path to our True and Eternal Life in You. We ask through the Holy Spirit, the Divine Breath of New Life; and our Merciful Impartial Creator, who together with You are One God in Glory, Boundless, and Everlasting. Amen.

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Meditation Moment in Holy Week ~ Monday '23

The Gospel of John 12:1-11

    MONDAY, after all of the joy and excitement of Palm Sunday, sees Jesus back in the town of Bethany.  On the previous Saturday, Jesus came to raise his friend Lazarus from the dead. Lazarus had been dead in the tomb for four days, and his sisters Mary and Martha were in anguish.  Now on this day, Jesus returns to a dinner by Martha to see Lazarus and enjoy a meal among his closest friends. Mary decides to welcome him ~ in the traditional way of hospitality of the time ~ by cleaning and anointing His feet but instead of a simple washing, she uses an exquisite ointment known as Nard. Then she dries His feet with her hair.  
    One of the disciples, Judas Iscariot, makes a snide comment about the expensive perfumed ointment that Mary used saying that it could have been sold and the money given to the poor. He didn’t care about the poor. He was in charge of the money and also a thief skimming money for himself off the top of whatever had been donated to the group of Jesus and his disciples.  Jesus, supportive of Mary's actions, told Judas that Mary had purchased the jar of Nard in preparation for Jesus' own death and burial and that, "You always have the poor with you but you do not always have me."
    Meanwhile, a great crowd was assembling to see Jesus and Lazarus together.  The chief priests were not at all pleased at this development, especially after throngs of excited people along the entry route into Jerusalem the day before. They decided that they would put both Jesus and Lazarus to death as all that was being said and the miracle of raising of Lazarus were turning Jews away from the religious authorities of the Synagogue toward this Jesus. The chief priests felt threatened by this new and powerful prophet. 

   Have you ever really experienced the tension of this week while even knowing the outcome? Try to imagine it. Listen, hear. Be there. Be here in our own time, with building tension on a variety of fronts. Think of a favorite mystery thriller and not knowing the end. The clock is ticking...

Sweet Jesus,
         On this Monday in Holy Week, the Gospel speaks of You relaxing at dinner with friends and being pampered as we go about the busy-ness of everyday life. How unaware are we, as were the disciples on that day, of the significance of this week in our own lives as Christians? 
        The Sanhedrin were plotting against You, and we are making lists of necessities for Easter Day, including bunny-shaped chocolates and marshmallow peeps in brightly colored baskets with plastic grass and hard-boiled eggs dyed in multiple colors. Where else in the world on this day in our time are executions being planned and carried out against innocent people? How  many unknown women, men, and their children will be brutalized for their religious beliefs, their race, gender, ethnicity, who they love, or simply because they seem to be a threat to some person or group in power? 
       Grace us with Your spirit Lord, let us, Christians, Your followers, hear and pay attention to that still small voice inside that tells us to take a moment today to stop, reflect, and pray.  Remind us to give thanksgiving for the ordinary parts of a day that make up an extraordinary life for the many of us that don't have to fear murderous persecution. Have we realized today why it is that we're privileged to be gathering fun fillings for an "Easter Basket?"  It's only Monday and much more than shopping and preparing an Easter Feast is yet to come during this very sacred, Holy Week.  amen.

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Meditation Moment in Lent ~ Day 34, Give Up, Take On, Pray

     It is most comfortable to be invisible, to observe life from a distance, 

at one with our own intoxicating superior thoughts.

~ Anne Lamott* 1954- 

    I'm not sure it's invisibility that I would find comfortable, perhaps just aloof and observing from an overhead vantage point or from my own personal pedestal. There are times when I like being close enough but far enough away, keeping everyone at arm's length. Then I can dish in my own head with clever if less than kind judgments, point my finger (an invisible one) at those who are merely common in their small lives, while I in my brilliance could solve all personal and global issues if I allowed them close enough to impart my wisdom. 
  And then my something in my head breaks out into: 

For my thoughts are not your thoughts,

nor are your ways my ways, says the Lord.

For as the heavens are higher than the earth,

    so are my ways higher than your ways

    and my thoughts than your thoughts.

[Isaiah 55:8-9 NRSV]

 

Dear Most Superior Invisible One,

   I realize that my own self-described superior thoughts aren’t worth much at all if I'm using them to be condescending to others. Clearly I am not giving away the love and grace You are providing to me to share generously with others (and myself), even if only silently at times.

  For today, I’ll give up being merely an observer of people from an impersonal distance. I’ll take on becoming more up close and personal, when appropriate and comfortable for another. I’ll pray to remember that I'm not the judge of others, which, anyway, is more likely a reflection of how I judge myself. Help me to remember daily that the life You have given us is to be lived knowing You are within us and seeing the radiance of Your love in every single person we meet. No matter my presumption of the life circumstance, attitude, faith practice or lack of, politics, size, age, gender, etc., of another, You have taught me to love that neighbor as myself. Having You to lean on, turn to, and continually learn from is a far better way to experience superior intoxication. amen.

 

 Oh Lord it's Hard to be Humble: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mYKWch_MNY0

*Anne Lamott, is an American political activist and author of non-fiction and novels all largely autobiographical and with her signature wit, humor, and self-deprecation. Tackling alcoholism, single-motherhood, and depression, Lamott brings us in to everyday American situations with down-to-earth, sometimes irreverent vocabulary and structure that cuts directly to the center of life.

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Meditation Moment in Lent ~ Day 33, Give Up, Take On, Pray

Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree,

                          it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid.                         

~ Albert Einstein* [1879-1955]

Don't Judge a Fish by its Scales
    I cannot count the times I have felt diminished by being told I wasn't capable of x or that I couldn't possibly achieve y for a variety of reasons such as being too young, too old, too stupid, and once because I have red hair. I've also been elated by the encouragement of or compliment by some I respect and admire, and even by strangers. How easy it can be to shake or make self-confidence, to thwart or inspire development. How fragile we, who-pretend-even-to-ourselves-we-are-not, often are. Let’s get over it!
       

Lord of all Created Life,  

   For today and all days ahead, I will strive ever harder to give up  judging others, even if it is only in my head and not coming out of my mouth, as I remember the insensitive and hurtful things as have been done or said unto me (even if some of those say-ers were unaware or all was unintended). I will take on and improve upon a role of encourager and listener, and, even if I’m pretty sure that fish cannot climb that tree, let me remember we can all be surprised at the outcomes when one is just that determined! I pray for the serenity to let go of all the stuff that’s been dumped on me, forgive the intended and unintended slights, that I may be forgiven for my slights and insensitive acts toward others, and just get on with climbing my own trees to their highest heights. amen. 

*Albert Einstein, German-born, is an icon of theoretical physics, a Nobel Prize winner, with such an enormous catalog of many intellectual and scientific achievements to his credit that his name has become the synonym for genius. He was visiting in the US in 1933 when Hitler came to power and he never returned to Germany. He became a US citizen in 1940 and warned President Roosevelt of the possible weapon development in Germany that would become the Manhattan Project in the US leading to the atomic bomb. Einstein later denounced the use of nuclear fission for weapons but had been worried that Germany would develop it first. His career in the US was with the Institute for Advanced Study at Princeton University in New Jersey which lasted until his death in 1955.

 

 

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Meditation Moment in Lent ~ Day 32, Give Up, Take On, Pray

 

   Imagine a trust in yourself, or another person, or in life itself, that doesn’t need to be proved or demonstrated, that is able to contain uncertainty.  People sometimes put their trust in a spiritual leader and are terribly betrayed if that person then fails to live up to ideals. But a real trust of faith would be to decide whether to trust someone, knowing that betrayal is inevitable because life and personality are never without shadow. The vulnerability that faith demands could be matched by an equal trust in oneself, the feeling that one can survive the pain of betrayal.

~Thomas Moore* 1940-

[emphasis added]

   Betrayal comes in many forms and guises and when discovered it is deeper than a knife in the heart. It can feel as if the depth of that knife is fatal and at times, for myself, I wanted it to be so. But it is survivable ~ out of everyone I've ever known there have been only a few who have willingly mislead or intentionally deceived me, and one or two that I’m aware of, who didn't trust me enough to tell me the truth. As with any trauma, however deep or embedded in our hearts and souls and psyches, with help as needed, we can move forward. Today is all we have in this Earthly existence. Living in past anguish prolongs it. Counting the ones we can and do trust, relieves it and steadies the ground of our being that theologian Paul Tillich described, even if we are, understandably, a bit wary for  a time.

Dear Jesus,
          Betrayal in my life pales in comparison to Yours. While You saw it coming and predicted it to the very people who would betray You, perhaps in Your humanness You still hoped that it would not come to be. 
         As for me, learning to trust after discovering a betrayal was very difficult and very painful. I have moved on but the faint echo of the hurt is still there yet fading with the time that passes. So, for today, I will give up needing to replay the anguish in my mind and take on making certain that I am not one who will ever deceive another or cause any emotional harm. I will pray to trust my own instinct about people and accept that I will sometimes be disappointed, and may disappoint others. AND I will concentrate on all the many many others who have been and are grace-filled gifts in my life. This is proof enough that I can have faith and trust in others as I have in You. More importantly, whatever happens in human relationships, I know that my faith and trust in You will always be well-placed. amen.  

*Thomas Moore, is a writer, psychotherapist influenced by Jung and James Hillman. He is also former monk, and has been a professor at Glassboro State College and Southern Methodist University.  Dr. Moore has authored Care of the Soul, which was on the NY Times bestseller list for almost a year, and Soul Mates among 30 other books on soul, spirituality, and depth psychology, and lectures internationally on ecology, psychotherapy, and religion.

All compositions remain the property of the owner of this blog but may be used with attribution and edited for local use as long as they are not sold or charged for in any way. For more information or comments, contact: Leeosophy@gmail.com

Meditation Moment in Lent ~ Day 31, Give Up, Take On, Pray

[There are those activities that] we use...for a kind of pleasure which can be called "fun." But it is not the creative kind of fun often connected with play; it is, rather, a shallow, distracting, greedy way of "having fun." And it is not by chance that it is that type of fun which can easily be commercialized, for it is dependent on calculable reactions, without passion, without risk, without love. Of all the dangers that threaten our civilization, this is one of the most dangerous ones: the escape from one’s emptiness through a "fun" which makes joy impossible.        

~ Paul Tillich* 1886-1965

-What kinds of things do you do "for fun" or relaxation or simple pleasure:

    Photography, playing a musical instrument, cooking, reading, bird watching,

    dancing, video games, playing the slots, gardening, playing or watching 

    outdoor sports, watching television or movies or Facebook or other social media, 

    or games, on your phone in a restaurant at a table with others...  

 

-When does fun turn into idle play or idle play into an obsession or addiction, or to 

     try to always please others?

-When is "entertainment" at the expense of or in exploitation of others

     (however well they are being paid)?

-Do your fun times improve your life financially, enhance a relationship,

     or your physical, and mental health?

Dear God of Free Time ~

         What should I do when my time is my own ~ is there a right way or a wrong way to do "fun"? Does everything I do in life have to be filled with usefulness and meaning?  Sometimes I just want to sit and veg-out in front of the tv, sometimes I want to run on the beach, learn to paint, or sing in the car. Sometimes I want to write the perfect sonnet or cook the most sumptuous meal for friends. I don't want to be responsible for saving civilization.

         Well, then let me think this through. For today, I'll give up some of the empty time of mindless "entertainment." I'll take on some mindful relaxation that will give me a positive outlook on life and then transfer some of that into energy to contribute something useful to at least local civilization if in a small way. I'll pray to keep idle play from becoming idol play. I'll keep trying to remember that You are present in every moment of my day and only through You can I experience the joy that this life has to offer and then offer it in a variety of ways to others.  amen.

   

*Paul Tillich is considered as one of the most influential theologians of the 20th century, and Christian Existentialist Philosopher.  His seminal work is a three-volume series on Systematic Theology, which is his most widely known writing though there are many others.  A German-born Lutheran pastor, Tillich came into conflict at the rise of Nazi power and was encouraged by Reinhold Niebuhr [see Prayers for Lent Day 23] to join the faculty of Union Theological Seminary in New York. He later became one of the Five highest ranking Professors at Harvard University and later a professor of theology at the University of Chicago.  His strong influence continues in the world of academic philosophy and theology with its critics and apologists - a legacy that will survive for a very long time to come. 

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Meditation Moment in Lent ~ Day 30, Give Up, Take On, Pray

[A] personal God can become a grave liability…a mere idol carved in our own image, a projection of our limited needs, fears and desires. We can assume that [God] loves what we love and hates what we hate, endorsing our prejudices instead of compelling us to transcend them.      ~ Karen Armstrong* 1944-


       In an us and them world, where do we place God as Creator of All in God's own image? Is it that there is only one side that God is on and is it always ours?

Dear God,
     Of course you're on our side ~ don't we always kneel on the field and pray to You before the game to help our team win? Aren't we the right color, political party, gender, sexual orientation, and citizen of the best country? 
     For today, I will give up trying to have You act on my will. I will take on looking more closely for ways to discern Your will. At the very least, I will think more deeply about the teachings of Jesus to love You with all we have and to love others as ourselves ~ to love them as if they were us. I will pray for the will and the courage to walk this walk and think differently about whose image I serve.  amen.


*Karen Armstrong is a British commentator and renowned author of a multitude of books on quite a breadth and depth of comparative religion studies. A former Roman Catholic nun, she has given us such books as A History of God: A 4,000 Year Quest of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam; Through the Narrow Gate; and Jerusalem:  One City, Three Faiths. Her work centers around the commonalities across major religions and, in particular, the importance of the Golden Rule and Compassion.  Her work, research, and authorship has garnered her - among many other awards - the $100,000 TED prize in 2008 with which she started the Charter for Compassion: "A document that transcends religious, ideological, and national differences. A cooperative effort to restore compassionate thinking and action to the center of life." Individuals, groups, and even countries can sign and participate in this most human quest to develop humanity to its highest ideal.  http://charterforcompassion.org/

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