Presence

Lord, I come to you in joy, on this Easter Sunday. I take a moment or two to tune into my breath and praise you, the Risen Christ. Fill me anew with your Holy Spirit as I read Your Word and take a few minutes in quiet reflection and prayer.

Scripture Reading

Psalm 138: 1-3 NRSVue

I give you thanks, O Lord, with my whole heart; before the gods I sing your praise; I bow down toward your holy temple and give thanks to your name for your steadfast love and your faithfulness, for you have exalted your name and your word above everything. On the day I called, you answered me; you increased my strength of soul.

Reflection

The daily practice of gratitude will change my life for the better. I will take the time to be grateful, be it first thing in the morning, last thing at night, or as I go about my day. I remember the words of Pope Francis: “Let us not forget to thank: if we are bearers of gratitude, the world itself will become better, even if only a little bit, but that is enough to transmit a bit of hope. The world needs hope. And with gratitude, with this habit of saying thank you, we transmit a bit of hope.”

Closing Prayer

Thank you God, that Lent is over and that the day of Your Resurrection has come! May your Living Word continue to find a home in me, be deeply rooted, and bear fruit in an increase of faith, hope, love, and gratitude, all the days of my life. Amen. Alleluia!

Final Words

Thank you for praying this Lenten retreat with us. We hope you continue to practice gratefulness in your daily life. To measure how far you’ve come in the last 47 days, ask yourself how different your world would look now if tomorrow you woke up with only those people and things you gave thanks for over the course of this retreat. If gratitude is not yet a habit, consider redoing the retreat. Just as you never step into the same river twice, a saying attributed to the Greek philosopher Heraclitus, you never read the same scripture in the same way twice. What you need to hear today may not be the same as what you need to hear tomorrow. God knows. Only God knows.
A Happy and Blessed Easter to you all. Christ is Risen! Alleluia!