Easter 3B

		A Prepared Meditation of a Bead and a Prayer For the Second Sunday of Easter
	CROSS	Alleluia! O, Life-Bearer, in whom we live and move and have our being: to you we raise our thanks and praise. For this is the day you have made—an Easter Day of joy and celebration. Alleluia!
	INVITATORY	O God, Holy, Holy and Mighty, Holy Immortal One: Hear our prayers and make haste to help us. Come quickly to our care, O God.
	CRUCIFORM	Ever-Living, Source of Life and Love, in Easter Resurrection you have given new life to all humanity and have brought us to the reconciliation of your Beloved and Anointed One. Now being one in You, one in the Christ, and one in Spirit, help us to move together toward the justice and peace that is the life you give in the love you make possible. Through the Only Begotten and Risen One, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever.
	WEEK 1	Easter According to St. John In the evening of that same day, the first day of the week, the doors were locked in the room where the disciples were, for fear of the Temple authorities. The Resurrected One came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.” Having said this, the Risen One showed them the marks of crucifixion in hands and side. The disciples were filled with joy when they saw this, and thus knew it was the Cruficied-Now-Risen One, who said to them again, “Peace be with you. As God sent me, so I’m sending you.” After saying this, the Resurrected One breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive anyone’s sins, they are forgiven. If you retain anyone’s sins, they are retained.” It happened that one of the Twelve, Thomas—nicknamed Didymus, or “Twin”—was absent when the Risen One came. The other disciples kept telling him, “We’ve seen the Crucified Now Risen One!” Thomas’ answer was, “I’ll never believe it without putting my finger in the nail marks and my hand into the spear wound.” On the eighth day, the disciples were once more in the room, and this time Thomas was with them. Despite the locked doors, the Resurrected One came and stood before them, saying, “Peace be with you.” Then, to Thomas, the Risen One said, “Take your finger and examine my hands. Put your hand into my side. Don’t persist in your unbelief, but believe!” Thomas said in response, “My Savior and my God!” The Crucified-Now-Resurrected One then said, “You’ve become a believer because you saw me. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” The Risen One performed many other signs as well—signs not recorded here—in the presence of the disciples. But these have been recorded to help you believe that Jesus is the Anointed One, the Only Begotten, so that by believing you may have life in Jesus’ Name.
	CRUCIFORM	O God, who on this day, through your Only Begotten One, have conquered death and unlocked for us the path to eternity, grant, we pray, that we who keep the solemnity of the Easter Resurrection may, through the renewal brought by your Spirit, rise up in the light of life. Through your Beloved and Anointed One Christ, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, One God, for ever and ever.
	WEEK 2	Easter According to St. Matthew After the Sabbath, as the first day of the week was dawning, Mary of Magdala came with Mary to inspect the tomb. Suddenly, there was a severe earthquake, and an angel of God descended from heaven, rolled back the stone, and sat on it. The angel’s appearance was like lightning, with garments white as snow. The guards shook with fear and fell down as though they were dead. Then the angel spoke, addressing the women: “Don’t be afraid. I know you are looking for the Crucified One is no longer here. The One who was crucified is now Risen, exactly as it was foretold. Come and see the burial place. Then go quickly and tell the disciples that Jesus has risen from the dead and now goes ahead of you to Galilee. You will see the Resurrected One there. That is the message I have for you.” The women hurried away from the tomb with awe and great joy and ran to carry the good news to the disciples. Suddenly the Risen One stood before them and said, “Shalom!” The women came up, embraced Jesus’ feet and worshiped. At this, Jesus said to them, “Don’t be afraid! Go tell the disciples to go to Galilee, where they will see me.”
	CRUCIFORM	O God, who gladdens us year by year with the solemnity of being Easter people, graciously grant that, by celebrating these present festivities, we may merit through them to reach eternal joys. Through our Redeemer, your Beloved and Anointed One, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, One God, for ever and ever.
	WEEK 3	Easter According to St. Mark Jesus rose from the dead early on the first day of the week, appearing first to Mary of Magdala, out of whom the savior had cast seven devils. She went and reported it to Jesus’ companions, who were grieving and weeping. But when they heard that Jesus was alive and had been seen by her, they refused to believe it. Later on, as two of them were walking along on their way to the country, Jesus appeared to them in a different form. These two went back and told the others, who did not believe them either. Finally, the risen Christ appeared to the Eleven themselves while they were at table, and scolded them for their disbelief and their stubbornness, since they had put no faith in those who had seen Jesus after the resurrection. Then Jesus told them, “Go into the whole world and proclaim the Good News to all creation.
	CRUCIFORM	Almighty ever-living God, who gave us the Mystery of Easter Resurrection in the covenant you established for reconciling the human race, so dispose our minds that what we celebrate by professing the faith we now express in deeds. Through the Beloved and Anointed One, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, One God, for ever and ever.
	WEEK 4	Easter According to St. Luke On the first day of the week, at the first sign of dawn, the women came to the tomb bringing the spices they had prepared. They found the stone rolled back from the tomb; but when they entered the tomb, they didn’t find the body of Jesus. While they were still at a loss over what to think of this, two figures in dazzling garments stood beside them. Terrified, the women bowed to the ground. The two said to them, “Why do you search for the Living One among the dead? Jesus is not here; Christ has risen. Remember what Jesus said to you while still in Galilee—that the Chosen One must be delivered into the hands of sinners and be crucified, and on the third day would rise again.” With this reminder, the words of Jesus came back to them. When they had returned from the tomb, they told all these things to the Eleven and the others. The women were Mary of Magdala, Joanna, and Mary the mother of James.
	CRUCIFORM	God of everlasting mercy, who in the very recurrence of the Easter feast kindle the faith of the people you have made your own, increase the grace you have bestowed, that all may grasp and rightly understand in what font they have been washed, by whose Spirit they have been reborn, by whose life, death, and resurrection, they have been redeemed. Through the Beloved and Anointed One, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, O God, forever and ever.
	INVITATORY	Almighty God we have been born again through the resurrection of your Chosen One, and even though we have not seen the Risen Christ we love and believe that the Beloved and Anointed One is the Life and the Resurrection. Creator God, we pray for governments and authorities around the world who are, as we, doing what can be done to manage the Covid infection and its debilitating effects. We pray for all those working in essential services that supply goods and services and care for us. Help us all to be responsible in the things that we do in our lives to prevent the spread of the virus, especially now as lockdown eases. We thank you for the vaccines and the skilled scientists who developed them and ask that everybody will respond positively to the offer. Merciful God, we pray for peace in our troubled world. We pray for all families whose homes are disrupted by anger and bitterness and where relationships are breaking up, made worse by the stress of the pandemic and politics. We thank you for the gift of your Beloved and Anointed One, our Resurrection and Life, who walks with us on our life’s journey and lifted the hearts of his friends when they saw him. May he travel alongside all who are struggling with their family life lifting their hearts even unto joy. Faithful God, we hold before you all who find it difficult to trust in you. We pray that you will push aside the doubts and fears bringing to them hope, comfort and healing, and inner peace. Heal those who are sick in mind, body, and spirit; may they regain their strength and health. In a moment of silence please bring before God anyone on your heart who is troubled. Merciful God, we remember before you those who have died in the hope of the resurrection. Unite us with them in your undying love. Help us to always remember that death could not hold your Chosen One and that new life for the Christ means new life for all. Gracious God, your Beloved and Anointed One stands among us, and we have seen the marks of your saving love. Breathe on us with the power of your Holy Spirit and send us out to share the peace of Christ with all who may cross our paths in the week ahead.
	CROSS	Merciful God of all Compassion, accept these prayers and raise us all to the new life you have given. And, may our life be one of making peace and working together for justice. For we are an Easter People.