Resurrection of the Lord:Easter Day: This Is the Day- Psalm 118:1-2, 19-29

Psalm 118:1-2, 19-29

¹   O give thanks to the LORD, for he is good;his steadfast love endures for ever!²     Let Israel say,“His steadfast love endures for ever.”¹⁹  Open to me the gates of righteousness,that I may enter through themand give thanks to the LORD.²⁰  This is the gate of the LORD;the righteous shall enter through it.²¹  I thank you that you have answered meand have become my salvation.²²  The stone that the builders rejectedhas become the chief cornerstone.²³  This is the LORD’s doing;it is marvelous in our eyes.²⁴  This is the day that the LORD has made;let us rejoice and be glad in it.²⁵  Save us, we beseech you, O LORD!O LORD, we beseech you, give us success!²⁶  Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the LORD.We bless you from the house of the LORD.²⁷  The LORD is God,and he has given us light.Bind the festal procession with branches,up to the horns of the altar.²⁸  You are my God, and I will give thanks to you;you are my God, I will extol you.²⁹  O give thanks to the LORD, for he is good,for his steadfast love endures forever.

• Light a candle to remember Christ’s presence with you.
• Sit five to fifteen minutes in silence bringing your attention to the Breath.
• This is the day the Lord has made.
• Let us rejoice and be glad in it!
• As you  walk to Jerusalem, notice what you are carrying.
• What obstacles have you overcome on the journey?
• Who has traveled with you?
• How do you wish to rejoice today?
• What is your message from God?
• Give thanks to God for this time in prayer and for any new insights you have received.
• Share as you feel led in the reply box below.

Acts 10:34-43

³⁴Then Peter began to speak to them: “I truly understand that God shows no partiality, ³⁵but in every nation anyone who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him. ³⁶You know the message he sent to the people of Israel, preaching peace by Jesus Christ — he is Lord of all. ³⁷That message spread throughout Judea, beginning in Galilee after the baptism that John announced: ³⁸how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power; how he went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him. ³⁹We are witnesses to all that he did both in Judea and in Jerusalem. They put him to death by hanging him on a tree; ⁴⁰but God raised him on the third day and allowed him to appear, ⁴¹not to all the people but to us who were chosen by God as witnesses, and who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead. ⁴²He commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that he is the one ordained by God as judge of the living and the dead. ⁴³All the prophets testify about him that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name.”

• Light a candle to remember Christ’s presence with you.
• Sit five to fifteen minutes in silent meditation paying close attention to the deep breath.
• The power of forgiveness is the freedom to let go of the past.  As you gaze into the Christ candle, see the forgiveness God has for you.
• Allow the light of God's forgiveness to shine upon you, to permeate you, to free you from the sin(s) of the past.
• Notice the warmth of the light as it moves through you, embracing you, freeing you.
• Freedom from death is resurrection.
• What new things to you feel in the warmth of resurrection?
• What new things to you see in the light of resurrection?
• What is the new creation God wants to give you?
• Give thanks to God for this time in prayer and for any new insights you have received.
• Share as you feel led in the reply box below.

Revised Common Lectionary Readings for Sunday, April 9, 2023, the Resurrection of the Lord (Easter Day) (Year A)

Acts 10:34-43Psalm 118:1-2, 14-24Colossians 3:1-4John 20:1-18Matthew 28:1-10If you use these prayers in other groups, please give credit to author. Permission to use in not-for-profit settings.  (c) 2023 The Rev. Dr. Lil Smith, DASDRev. Dr. Lil Smith is a trained spiritual director, supervisor, and co-founder of Retreat House Spirituality Center in Richardson, TX.  Upon completion of her spiritual direction training, Lil began Praying the Lectionary in 2011 as a spiritual practice for her morning prayer time.  Instead of reading about someone else’s experience of God, it was important for her to create a prayer practice that would encourage felt sense experience of the Holy emerging from within.  It dawned on her others might enjoy the practice, as well.  So she began to share them on this site.As you experience the practice of Praying the Lectionary, adopt a loving, caring, and compassionate stance.  If the end of your prayer and meditation time is not pointing to love and hope, there is more work to do.  Keep wrestling.  God is faithful to your journey.  Love and hope will emerge.  Be gentle with yourself and befriend any judgment that arises in you.