Opening Prayer – 2nd Sunday of Easter
Alleluia! Jesus has risen!
Give us the faith to believe in the promises
of the risen Lord without seeing.
Give us the hope to believe in the promises
of forgiveness of sin and everlasting life.
Give us the love to believe in the promises
of the one who created us to love.
Praise to YOU, Lord Jesus Christ!

Journal/Reflection Questions
Acts 2:42-47
• How do you feel called to give your time, talent and treasure to others in the community? What are you holding back?
• Identify in your own family the gifts each of you bring to each other and the community. What can you do to share these gifts in a more prominent way this Easter season?

1Peter 1:3-9
• How do you feel like you have risen this Easter? Did you “die” to something this Lenten season? How can you relate to the “new life” the resurrection brings?
• Jesus rose from the dead to give us life…what can we do to live out the resurrection today?

John 20:19-31
• Nothing can be hidden from Christ. What do you hide from God? From your spouse? Your friends? What sin do you hold onto which you cannot forgive?
• Who do you connect to in this reading? What similar feelings would you have if you were present? What do you feel you are called to do through this experience?

General Questions for Journaling
• How do you define a Christian? What qualities and values does a Christian have?
• Are you a part of a Christian community? How does this community help strengthen your faith?
• How does God have a hand or a grasp on you? What areas of your life do you need God to grab onto? Do you feel God’s hold or are you holding on too tightly?
• What evidence do you have that Jesus is alive in your life?
• Identify areas in your life where you doubt, or situations where you feel or show doubt? Is it with your abilities? The promises of others? How does your doubt affect your faith? How does it affect others?
• Do you believe Thomas truly didn’t believe? Have you ever lost someone whom you deeply loved and had a hard time believing they were gone? How have you been able to cope with this loss? How can the resurrection bring comfort or closure to the unbelief?

Closing Prayer – Blessing from Pope Francis
Our belief in Christ’s Resurrection is the very heart of our faith, the basis of our hope in God’s promises and our trust in his victory over sin and death…with the eyes of faith, we too encounter the risen Lord in the many signs of his presence: the Scriptures, the Eucharist and the other sacraments, and the acts of charity, goodness, forgiveness and mercy which bring a ray of his Resurrection into our world. May our faith in the risen Christ enable us to be living signs in our world of the triumph of life and hope over evil, sin and death.

Challenge for the Week: The forty days of Lent are meant to prepare us for Easter. We fast, give alms and pray in order to help us build a better relationship with Christ. Easter is not only ONE day, in the Catholic Church the Easter season lasts for six weeks. Jesus ROSE FROM THE DEAD! We should celebrate it for more than ONE day! This Easter Season, continue to grow into a deeper relationship with Christ. Research a new type of prayer or use an everyday task like washing the dishes to create more time to spend in prayer, talking with God. Remember prayer is a conversation; don’t let it be one sided.