The disciples didn’t understand, at first, what happened at the tomb. Often, we can’t fathom the purpose of God’s plan. We only see a stone in the wrong place. When we pause and look deeper, we see it: God has moved the stone. So, we must ask ourselves: why? ©LPi

• Where in my life is the Lord calling me to live more visibly as a resurrection people?
• What fear keeps me from witnessing more freely to Christ?

READINGS FOR THIS SUNDAY AT USCCB

Acts 10:34a, 37–43

Peter’s preaching reveals that the Resurrection creates a missionary Church. He speaks as one who has encountered mercy and now bears responsibility for others. The risen Lord is not merely the hope of Peter’s inner life; he is the judge of the living and the dead, and the one through whom sins are forgiven. This means evangelization is an act of charity. To speak of Christ is to open for others the door of forgiveness, communion, and salvation. As Saint Augustine preached, we are an Easter people because the life of Christ becomes the life of his Body, the Church.

Do I see sharing the Gospel as a duty, or as an act of love for souls?

Colossians 3:1–4

Saint Paul does not ask us merely to behave better; he calls us to live from a new center. Because our life is hidden with Christ, our deepest identity is no longer fear, success, failure, reputation, or even suffering. It is communion with the Risen Lord. Missionary discipleship weakens when Christians forget who they are. It grows strong when they remember that grace has already planted eternity within them. Saint John Paul II taught that Sunday and Easter reveal the meaning of human life in the light of the Resurrection.

What would change in my decisions if I truly lived today as one whose life is hidden with Christ in God?

John 20:1–9

John’s Gospel shows that faith often begins in holy desire. They run to the tomb because love moves them. The beloved disciple sees the signs and believes; this is not naïve faith, but contemplative faith. He perceives that death has been undone from within. Missionary disciples need this contemplative gaze. Without it, mission becomes activism. With it, mission becomes testimony born of wonder. The saints repeatedly teach that encounter with the Lord comes before fruitful apostolic work.

Am I allowing wonder before the mystery of Easter to deepen my prayer and shape my mission?

We Lift Up These Petitions in Faith...

• For those preparing for full communion, may the Lord heal their hearts, strengthen their faith, and renew our parish in joyful unity, love, and conversion.
• For the Church and the world, may the Risen Christ renew our hearts in hope, mercy, and mission, and lead all people to everlasting life.
• For all parish ministries meeting this week, may the Holy Spirit guide their work and bless their service.

Reflections For Adults

• Lectio Divina at Catholic.Bible by USCCB
• Sacred Space by Irish Jesuits

Reflections for the Family

For families with young children, Easter means that the home can become a little school of resurrection. Children learn Easter not first from explanations, but from what they see: joy after hardship, forgiveness after conflict, prayer in the morning, kindness at the table, and peace in the home. When a family lives with patience, gratitude, and trust in Jesus, children begin to sense that the Risen Lord is real. In this way, the family becomes a small missionary community.

1. What simple Easter practice can help our home feel more centered on Jesus this season?

2. How can we teach our children that love, forgiveness, and joy are signs that Jesus is alive among us?

Sunday Reflection from the LA Archdiocese Office of Religious Education