Dear Friends in Christ,

The risen Christ appears to the Apostles with a presence other than what he was in his mortal life. The apostles are surprised at Jesus' sudden appearance, his brief and substantial messages, and his goodbye. The light of the Resurrection helps them to understand the scriptures - the bread at Emmaus and the fish in Jerusalem make their presence tangible, and especially given the gift of peace as the fruit of the Resurrection.

Dear Friends in Christ,

Today, on the Second Sunday of Easter, we complete the octave of this liturgical season, one of the two octaves —together with Christmas— that remain in the liturgy as changed by the Second Vatican Council. For eight days, we contemplate the same mystery and try to deepen our understanding of it in the light of the Holy Spirit.

Dear Friends in Christ,

“This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.” This is the refrain from Psalm 118 that we shall be singing throughout the Easter season. It aptly summarizes the celebration of the resurrection of Jesus Christ. The Father has resurrected Jesus Christ, His beloved Son, in whom He delights. Our Lord has loved us to the point of giving his life for all of us.

Dear Friends in Christ,

Today is a very special day. We come dressed for a feast and carrying palms in our hands because Holy Week is starting. For forty days we have followed the path of conversion and penance. There are two contradictory feelings in our hearts: on the one hand, joy at seeing Christ make a solemn entrance into Jerusalem and be proclaimed king; on the other, sorrow from knowing what he will suffer for us in a few days. Offended, betrayed, beaten, humiliated! We are going to see him climb up Calvary with the Cross on his shoulders and die for us.

Dear Friends in Christ,

Today’s Gospel might have been powerful words of encouragement in the faith journey of persecuted early Christian community to whom the “beloved disciple” writes. During the festivals in Jerusalem some Greeks went to worship and wished to see Jesus through the help of disciples. To “see” Jesus is not just to look at Him, which is what those Greeks presumably wanted.

To “see” Jesus is to enter totally into his way of thinking, to understand why he had to suffer and die and rise again. Like the grain of wheat, Jesus must let go of everything, including his own life, in order to bring life to him and many others.

Dear Friends in Christ,

Today, the liturgy offers us an early scent of Easter joy. The celebrant's vestments are rose colored. It is “Laetare Sunday,” inviting us to a serene joy. The Entrance Antiphon cries out to us: “Rejoice, Jerusalem, and all who love her. Be joyful, all who were in mourning; exult and be satisfied at her consoling breast.”

God wants us to live an abundant life. The most basic psychology tells us that a person who does not live happily eventually becomes ill, both in body and spirit. However, our joy must be well-founded, it must be the expression of the serenity of living a life with full meaning. Otherwise, joy would degenerate into superficiality and folly. Saint Teresa of Ávila accurately distinguished between “holy joy” and “foolish joy.” The latter is only external, short-lived, and leaves a bitter aftertaste.

Dear Friends in Christ,

Are you looking for another devotional prayer for your Lenten time of prayer, fasting and sacrifice? Have you considered the Chaplet of the Seven Sorrows?

This devotion has a long history; it goes back to the Middle Ages. However, due to the church-approved Marian apparitions in Kibeho, Rwanda in the 1980’s, this chaplet has increased in popularity. In her apparitions, Our Lady of Kibeho encouraged people to pray the Chaplet of the Seven sorrow to obtain the favor of repentance.