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–Evangelii Gaudium §276
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| Sunday of the First Week of Easter
Belief
“Then the other disciple, who had reached the tomb first, also went in, and he saw and believed; for as yet they did not know the
Scripture, that he must rise from the dead.” (John 20:8-9)
Reflection
What does it mean to believe? This is an important question for us to look at as we begin this Easter journey.
Do I believe in Jesus Christ, the Son of God, who died and rose from the dead? This is a tough question. Even the
Apostles at times had a very difficult time believing in Jesus’ true identity as God. So what was it that finally
convinced them that Jesus was the Messiah? This is a question we will break open throughout this Easter
journey…however; to give a short answer to the question…it’s the Resurrection! The Apostles came to believe in
the Resurrection of their Lord…the reality that Jesus defeated death and sin and rose from the depths of death’s
grip. We can begin to see the reality of the resurrection of our Lord take over the lives of the Apostles. The
Apostles believed in Jesus’ mission before He died, but they still carried doubt in their hearts. However, after the
Resurrection their lives were forever transformed. Their doubt was conquered with a convincing belief that Jesus
was who he said He was. Before the disciples could ever go out and proclaim the truth of Christ and His mission
they had to believe. They could not have gone out into the world to preach about the life of Christ and the
salvation He brought if they had no belief in the Resurrection.
Jesus’ time on earth and his time of ministry with the Apostles was building up to the summit of his
mission…the paschal mystery (passion, death and resurrection). Through Jesus suffering and death sin buried and
we are forgiven. Through the Resurrection of his body sin and death are defeated forever. The good news is that
through Christ we are no longer slaves to our sin. We are stuck in the tomb no longer. Through the resurrection
there is hope to come out of the darkness. Through the resurrection we aren’t afraid to come out of the tomb of
our sins, our past, our hurt, and our pain. The resurrection gives us the courage to leave it all in the tomb and begin
the journey out into the light with Christ.
The first step out of the darkness…the first step to believing…is being transformed by the revelation of
Christ through the reality of His resurrection. Welcome to Pascha…welcome to Easter…step out of the darkness
and begin to walk with Christ every day.
For Your Prayer
Take some time to pray with today’s Gospel reading from John Chapter 20. Follow the disciples to the tomb. Ask
some important questions in your prayer. Where in my life do I struggle with believing in Christ? What are things
in my life that are still lying in the tomb? What does it mean to look at an empty tomb knowing the Christ is no
longer there?
Be Sent
The resurrection brings joy to our lives. Try today to allow the joy of the resurrection to take hold of your life.
Take some time to write out things you are thankful for…through graciousness comes joyfulness!
Daily Log
As you begin this Easter journey how would you describe your relationship with Christ? Do you struggle with
unbelief? Explain.
© 2015 Catholic Diocese of Richmond | Office for Evangelization | Permission required for duplication
What are some spiritual goals you would like to set as you begin this 50-day Pascha resource?
| Monday of the First Week of Easter
Fear
“Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid.” (Matthew 28:10)
Reflection
Yesterday we talked about the word belief and the difficulty of believing in Christ and His mission. Today
we look at another important question. What is the root cause of our unbelief? If we had to sum this question up
in one word it would be the word fear! Fear is a very powerful emotion. Fear of course can be good and fear can
also be bad. Good fear is a fear that allows us to be prudent in our decisions, to stay away from something that
might be dangerous for us. We can have a healthy fear of what harms us, physically or spiritually and avoid these
things. Yet, bad fear, for lack of better words, is the type of fear that keeps us from moving forward in our life…it’s
a fear that keeps us holding on to the past…and a fear that doesn’t allow us to live life to its fullest. We all know
the reality of fear…both good and bad.
We see this reality of fear all throughout Sacred Scripture. We see fear constantly grabbing at he heels of the
disciples keeping them from truly following Christ. Fear paralyzes them and prevents us from living in freedom.
In today’s scripture passage from Matthew Jesus approaches the disciples and says to them, “Do not be afraid”.
What are they afraid of? The disciples at this time are still afraid of many things…most importantly they are afraid
for their lives. Fear is a reality for them. Yet, Jesus says to them to not be afraid. So how do we overcome fear?
We hear people say this often, “I overcame my fear.” How? “I faced it head on.” Have you ever heard
this? In part this is true. If we look at the story of St. Peter and his attempt to walk on water (Matt 14) we see Peter
facing fear head on. It’s a powerful scene of facing fear. Yet he sinks. Fear creeps back in! Do you ever feel this
way? Facing our fear is one thing, but overcoming it, experiencing triumph, that’s another thing. The apex of this
story comes when Jesus grabs Peter by the hand and lifts him up. He lifts Peter out of his fear, his failure and
together they move forward into safety. You see…we can’t overcome our fear on our on…we need Jesus just as
Peter needed Jesus. We can face fear, we can even look it in the eye, but only the Power of Jesus can destroy our
fears. This is great news because we have a God who in Christ, faced fear in the face and defeated it through His
death and resurrection. Thus nothing stands in the way between God and us…nothing! Will life throw fear in our
face, certainly, but do we have overcome it on our own, absolutely not. Jesus will say to us, as He said to the
disciples, “do not be afraid”.
For Your Prayer
Read Matthew Chapter 28 or Matthew Chapter 14
Examine yourself to see what fears you have in your life. What fears are good? What fears keep you away from sin
and danger? What fears are negative and keep you away from freedom and living life to its full?
If any, what fears keep you from a authentic relationship with God. Ask Christ to come speak to those fears. Pray
to overcome these fears so that there is room in your heart for Jesus Christ, that He may replace your fear with love,
hope and joy.
Be Sent
Think of someone you know that is facing a difficult situation. Write them a letter of encouragement with a
scripture verse on it and send it to them.
Remind yourself with week of the words of Christ, “Do not be afraid.”
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Daily log
Take some time to carefully journal about any fears in your life that are holding you back from experiencing
freedom in Christ. Don’t be afraid to be honest and to face any fears. After each fear you write down, write the
words of Jesus next to them, “Do not be afraid.” Pray each day with the fear and with the reality of Christ words.
Allow Jesus to help you overcome your fears.
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| Tuesday of the First Week of Easter
Holding On
“Jesus said to her, ‘Stop holding on to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father. But go to my brothers and tell them, I am going to
my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’” (John 20:17)
Reflection
Jesus says to Mary, “stop holding on to me.” Why does Jesus tell Mary Magdalene to stop holding on to
Him? Should Mary not cling on to Christ as tight as possible?
Have you ever held onto something so desperately that you were blinded to the fact that there was
something more? This is exactly what is happening to Mary Magdalene in this passage from the Gospel of John.
While Mary is a believer in the Resurrection, the Ascension (Jesus’s body physically ascending into heaven) has not
yet been revealed to her. Mary does not yet realize the fruit that will come once Jesus ascends to the Father. Thus
she does not fully understand that the Holy Spirit will be given to them to empower them to live a life of freedom.
So…Mary is holding on…and not letting go.
What are you holding on to? What is difficult for you to let go of? Is it your past, your present, your
future? Is it a sin, an unmet expectation, a wound? Is it a state of life, a person, a thing, a want or a deep desire?
The list can go on forever…but what is it that you have a tendency to hold on to in your life? Mary Magdalene had
to understand who and what she was holding on to…and she had to let go. Yes, she was holding on to Jesus…but
what was it that she was really holding on to? Was she holding on to fear, worry or anxiety…? The image of Mary
holding to Jesus is powerful…we should all cling to Christ. However, in this instance her holding on was keeping
Gods greater plan from taking place. Mary eventually lets go of her worry and fear and allows Christ to do his
work.
The great news is that we have a God who is not dead but who is alive and who desires for us to let go of
the old and embrace new life. Jesus said to Mary, “stop holding on”…and he is saying the same to us.
For Your Prayer
Read the scripture passage from today in John chapter 20. Allow the image of Mary and Jesus to guide your prayer.
Examine your life…your heart…and see if there is anything you need to let go of to your life. What is Christ saying
to you?
Be Sent
Prayer support is something we all need. Something to consider during this Easter journey is to find a person or
group of people who can pray for you and you can pray for them. Think about asking someone to pray for your
needs during this journey and you do the same for them. Be specific about your prayer request.
Daily Log
Make a “let go” list of things you hope by the end of this Easter season to let go of or move past…
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| Wednesday of the First Week of Easter
Eyes
“But Peter looked intently at him, as did John, and said, ‘Look at us.’ He paid attention to them, expecting to receive something from
them.” (Acts 3:4)
Reflection
If we made a list of our needs, desires, and wants the list would be very lengthy. We all have needs; it’s part
of being human. The questions we should ask ourselves is – where or whom do we go to fulfill our needs and
desires?
In today’s passage from Acts of the Apostles we see a powerful encounter take place between a crippled
man and the Apostle’s Peter and John. This story takes place after the ascension of Christ and the out-pouring of
the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. Peter and John now filled with the Holy Spirit are walking to the temple to pray. As
they approach the temple area there is a man who has been crippled from birth. The beggar, not knowing whom
Peter and John are, asks them for money as he does everyone else who walks by. It states in Acts, “but Peter
looked intently at him, as did John, and said, “look at us.” The crippled man paid attention to them thinking that he
was going to get just what he wanted…money.
How often do we want something so bad that we focus on it all the time? Yet what we really need isn’t the
thing we are asking for. Yes, the beggar did need money to live. Because he was crippled he probably had a
difficult time working. However, what he really needed wasn’t even what he was asking for. He really desired to
walk, to be free, to have the life he always dreamed of since childhood. However, he had subscribed to the fact that
his for the rest of his life he would be a crippled. His life got altered when he encountered Jesus through the
Apostles.
So let’s go back to Peter and John. It says they looked “intently” at the man. Imagine the eyes of Peter and
John, filled with the Power of Christ, looking “intently” at the beggar. So “intently” did they look that they were
able to know what he really needed. In a moment Peter states, “I have neither silver nor gold, but what I do have I
give you: in the name of Jesus Christ, rise and walk.”
Jesus desires to look “intently” into our eyes. He desires to look past what we’ve been asking for into the
very thing we need most.
For Your Prayer
Read the passage from Acts chapter 3 again. Pray with it. Imagine yourself as the beggar. What is it that you are
asking for? What is it that you really desire? Allow yourself to move past the surface into the depth of your
heart…and allow Jesus to look “intently” at you.
Be Sent
Find a way during your day to see more of what goes on around you, but do it with mindfulness of God. Try
harder to look intently at people when you talk to them; don’t just hear what they are saying but be present to
them…look them in the eye as Jesus would. Take time away from the computer or phone to be present to others.
When you’re driving, turn off the music and really see the places you’re driving through…you will begin to notice
things, like the homeless. Think of these people during your prayer and reflect on what you’ve seen that day.
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Daily Log
Take some time to journal today about what specifically you need God to look intently at in your life. Make a list.
Be specific. Be honest.
Answer these questions:

When you pray do you take time to let Jesus look intently on you? Explain.

How can you allow yourself to be more present to people around you?
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| Thursday of the First Week of Easter
Recognize
“The disciples of Jesus recounted what had taken place along the way and how they had come to recognize him
in the breaking of the bread.” (Luke 24:35)
Reflection
Today’s reading from the Gospel of Luke chapter 24 is the beautiful story of Jesus encounter with two
disciples on the road to Emmaus.
In today’s passage the two disciples are recounting their experience of encountering Jesus to the others. On
their journey they encountered Jesus however, they did not recognize Him when they first met him. They didn’t
realize who Jesus was until later that evening when Jesus broke the bread at supper. Thus it was in the breaking of
the bread, in the Sacrament of the Eucharist, that Jesus revealed himself to them and they recognized him (this
would have been the first Eucharist after the Resurrection).
Jesus instituted the Sacraments during his earthly ministry. Jesus’ life was sacramental as he was a visible
sign of the Father’s love to the world. John 3:16 states, “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so
that everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life.” Jesus lets us himself, fully present,
in the Sacraments. The sacraments are crucial to our identity as Catholics. The Sacraments are not just rituals that
give us an archaic feel; rather, the sacraments remind us that the Most Holy Trinity transcends time. God’s love for
us is eternal. Christ’s sacrifice on Calvary is eternal. The breath of the Holy Spirit is eternal. And as long as the
sacraments are performed on this Earth, grace will be conferred from them to us. Thus, the same way that Jesus
revealed himself to the disciples thousands of years ago in the breaking of the bread is the same way he reveals
himself to us today at every Mass. Do we recognize Christ presence in the Sacraments?
When we recognize Jesus in the sacraments, we then begin to grasp the full picture of who Jesus is and what
his mission today is about. The disciples learned this when they recognized Him in the breaking of the bread.
Today we have full access to the love, grace, and person of Christ in the Sacraments. May our hearts recognize Him
as He continues to reveal Himself to us.
For Your Prayer
Read Luke Chapter 24. Reflect on the story of Jesus encounter with the disciples on the road to Emmaus.
Spend some time this week in prayer before the Blessed Sacrament.
Be Sent
Try to attend Mass this week outside of your Sunday obligation.
Invite someone (friend, family member) to Mass this week.
Daily Log
How have the Sacraments had an impact on your life?
How can you grow more in your devotion to the Eucharist?
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| Friday of the First Week of Easter
Reveal
“Jesus revealed himself again to his disciples at the Sea of the Tiberias.” (John 21:1)
Reflection
One of the ways we begin to feel desolate in our spiritual life is when we begin to feel distant from God.
Throughout the Old Testament God’s people often complained that He had abandoned them. Yet this wasn’t the
case at all. Woven throughout the Old Testament is the reality of a God who constantly pursued and revealed
Himself to His people. The New Testament, the New Covenant, is a fulfillment of this reality in its completion
through Jesus Christ. In the New Testament God has revealed Himself totally through His Son Jesus. So if God
has revealed himself why do we often feel like He’s not there…distant?
After the death of Christ the disciples experienced great desolation. They feared not only for their life, but
they feared that God had abandoned them. They felt distant, alone, and abandoned. Sound familiar? However, the
spiritual reality they were living in was not reality at all. Jesus had stayed true to his promise when he said, “I will
never leave you nor abandon you.” We see Jesus continuously reveal himself to the disciples after the
resurrection…reassuring them each time that He was with them. Today’s scripture from the Gospel of John states,
“Jesus revealed himself again to his disciples.” This verse is the reality of the spiritual life. Jesus “reveals” himself
“again” to us. The disciples (who were under great distress after the death of Jesus) were consoled by Christ after
the resurrection as he “revealed” Himself again and again to them.
We too have reassurance that God is not distant from us! On normal days, stressful times and even on the
days we feel most distant from God he still reveals Himself to us. Just as Christ promised He would not “abandon”
the disciples so too does He promise the same to us. Jesus promises that throughout time and eternity he will be
with us. Thus Christ continues to reveal Himself to us through Sacred Scripture, the Sacraments, the Eucharist,
community, nature, beauty and much more.
So where do we go from here? Well, we don’t have to go anywhere! We don’t have to try harder to make
God love us more! He already loves us and pursues us. We simply need to adopt a posture of receiving what God
has already “revealed” to us. Allow your heart and mind to slow down a bit this Easter Season so you can receive
whatever it is God has for you.
For Your Prayer
Read the passage from the Gospel of John Chapter 21:1-25. Pay attention in the reading how Jesus reveals himself
to the disciples. What is Jesus trying to accomplish in these conversations? What is Jesus trying to say to you in
prayer?
Be Sent
Do something special for someone today or sometime this week. Reveal the love of Christ to them by the action
that you take towards them.
Daily Log
What are ways that you have seen God reveal Himself to you in the past?
How has God revealed Himself to you lately?
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How can you adopt a posture of receiving Gods gift of Himself to you?
| Saturday of the First Week of Easter
Go
“Go into the whole world and proclaim the Gospel to every creature.” (Mark 16:15)
Reflection
Wow, you made it to the end of week one…congratulations! If you’ve made it this far…then it’s worth
taking the journey to the end. And if you’ve missed a day or two, no worries, don’t’ give up; you can always jump
right back in.
Let’s recap our week. Our theme for the week is “out of the darkness”…the idea that as Christians we are
called out of the darkness of the tomb and into the light of the resurrection with Christ…a journey out of sin and
into freedom. Each day this week we chipped away with various themes moving slowly and methodically in our
prayer with Christ. Hopefully, no matter where you are in your relationship with Christ you have experienced a
deeper desire to pray, listen, receive and walk with Jesus.
Today we end the week with a challenge. The challenge to GO out! This is the challenge Christ gave to his
disciples and it is also the challenge He gives to us. The reason this theme is early in the Pascha Journey is because
“go” isn’t just a day, but journey, a goal and a calling. But…what does Christ mean when he says go? What if I’m
not ready to go out? These are very valid questions.
In the Gospel today from Mark chapter 16 Jesus says to the disciples, “Go into the whole world and
proclaim the Gospel to every creature.” Sounds pretty straightforward doesn’t it. As we’ve seen in the previous
readings so far, after the resurrection Jesus continues to appear to the disciples teaching them and giving them what
they need so they can carry on His mission once He ascends to the Father. At the core of Christ teaching to the
disciples is the reality that he will empower them through the Holy Spirit to share the Gospel throughout the world.
This is called the great commission and each synoptic Gospel (Matthew, Mark, Luke) contains a variation of Jesus
sending the disciples out. So when Jesus says to the disciples, “go” it’s not a suggestion, but a commandment. Were
the disciples fearful, worried and doubtful…yes? Did Jesus teach them, empower them and give them every thing
they needed…yes!
Just as Jesus commanded the disciples to “go” out so does he command us to “go” out. This
commandment to “go” wasn’t just for the Apostles in the early Church…just like the commandment to love wasn’t
just for them either. The commandment to “go” is part of what it means to be a Christian. We are asked to go
with Jesus and love those around us and those in the world with His love. We end this week with a goal in mind.
The goal for us as Christians is to be so united to Christ and empowered by him that we are open to his promptings
in our life. Don’t be afraid to “go” Jesus will give you everything you need.
For Your Prayer
Read the Scripture passage today from Mark chapter 16. Pay attention to what Jesus is saying to the disciples.
Imagine that you are there with them…what is He saying to you? What emotions come up in your prayer? What
do you need from Jesus? How can Jesus begin to empower you to go? What fears or inadequacies come up?
Be Sent
Make a private list in your journal of people in your circle of influence (family, work etc.) that you could be sharing
the love of Christ with. Pray for each of them. Pray for opportunities to share Christ love with them.
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Daily Log
Read the first reading from today in the Book of Acts 4:13-21. Meditate on the actions of Peter and John.
Especially meditate on their words to the Sanhedrin in verses 19-20: “Whether it is right in the sight of God for us
to obey you rather than God, you be the judges. It is impossible for us not to speak about what we have seen and
heard.”
Can you be as bold as them?
How is Jesus calling you to be bold in your faith?
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