Road to Emmaus

That very day, the first day of the week, two of Jesus' disciples were going to a village called Emmaus. And it happened that while they were conversing, Jesus himself drew near and walked with them, but their eyes were prevented from recognizing him. He asked them, "What are you discussing as you walk along?" Cleopas, said to him in reply, "Are you the only visitor to Jerusalem who does not know of the things that have taken place there in these last days?" And he replied to them, "What sort of things?" They said to him, "The things that happened to Jesus the Nazarene, who was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people, how the chief priests and rulers both handed him to a sentence of death and crucified him. But we were hoping that he would be the one to redeem Israel." And he said to them, "Oh, how foolish you are! How slow of heart to believe all that the prophets spoke! Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory?" As they approached the village, he gave the impression that he was going on farther. But they urged him, "Stay with us, for it is nearly evening and the day is almost over. So he went in to stay with them. And it happened that, while he was with them at table, he took bread, said the blessing, broke it, and gave it to them. With that their eyes were opened and they recognized him, but he vanished from their sight. Then they said, "Were not our hearts burning within us while he spoke to us on the way and opened the Scriptures to us?"

Will we choose Peace

If today, you saw tomorrow, the dreams, and possibilities, or the scenes of the sorrow of all the hate, and misery.

Would you do war? Would you do war? Would you do war? Would you do war? Or...Would you do peace?

We see everything around us falling apart, people of different places at odds, is there time to heal the scars, today.

Would you do war? Would you do war? Would you do war? Would you do war? Or...Would you do peace?

This is the time to fall on your knees, a time for things to heal, a time to choose as one family, to pray for peace.

Will we choose war? Will we choose war? Will we choose war? Will we choose war? Or...Will we choose peace?

My Father and your Father

Mary Magdalene stayed outside the tomb weeping. And as she wept, she bent over into the tomb and saw two angels in white sitting there, one on the head the other at the feet where the body of Jesus had been. And they said to her, "Women, why are you weeping?" She said to them, "They have taken my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid him." When she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus there, but did not know it was Jesus. Jesus said to her, "Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you looking for?" She thought it was the gardener and said to him, "Sir, if you carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him." Jesus said to her, "Mary!" She turned and said to him in Hebrew, "Rabbouni," which means Teacher. 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'" Mary went and announced to the disciples, "I have seen the Lord," and then reported what he had told her.
Consideration: Once again, Jesus makes it known that he is risen. He instructs Mary Magdalene to tell his disciples that he is going back to his Father and God, and to our Father and God. His Father is our Father, and his God is our God. Amen!

Do not be Afraid

Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went away quickly from the tomb, fearful and overjoyed, and ran to announce the news to his disciples. And behold, Jesus met them on their way and greeted them. They approached, embraced his feet, and did him homage. Then Jesus said to them, Do not be afraid. Go tell my brothers to go to Galilee, and there they will see me.

While they were going, some of the guard went into the city and told the priests all that had happened. The chief priests assembled with the elders and took counsel; then they gave a large sum of money to the soldiers, telling them, "You are to say, 'His disciples came by night and stole him while they were asleep.' And if it gets in the ears of the governor, we will satisfy him and keep you out of trouble." The soldiers took the money and did as they were instructed. And this story has circulated among the Jews to the present day.

Consideration: Jesus makes the arrangement for his disciples to meet him in Galilee, while the chief priests and elders scheme to cover up that Jesus had risen from the dead; just as he proclaimed he would. Amen, He is Risen!!!

He is Risen

On the first day of the week, Mary of Magdala came to the tomb early in the morning, while it was still dark, and saw the stone removed from the tomb. So she ran and went to Simon Peter and the other disciple whom Jesus loved, and told them, "They have taken the Lord from the tomb, and we don't know where they have put him." So Peter and the other disciple went out and came to the tomb. They both ran, but the other disciple ran faster than Peter and arrived at the tomb first; he bent down and saw the burial cloths there, but did not go in. When Simon Peter arrived after him, he went into the tomb and saw the burial cloths there, and the cloth and the cloth that had covered his head, not with the burial cloths but rolled up in a separate place. Then the other disciple also went in, the one who had arrived at the tomb first, and he saw, and believed. For they did not yet understand the Scripture that he had to rise from the dead. He is risen, Alleluia!!! 

The Passion of Christ

 Alone in the garden to his Father, he prayed

His disciples asleep under the trees where they lay

My Father in heaven, take this cup from me

But not as I will it, let your will be done through me

The soldiers approached his disciples in fear

Peter draws his sword and severs one's ear

Jesus surrenders without a fight

As he's taken away in the dark of the night

As the cock crows, Peter begins to cry 

Told by Jesus, three times he would deny

Convicted and accused of blasphemy

Pilate is pressured and gives a decree

In a courtyard filled with a crowd

They cursed at him so load

Pilate is seated upon his throne

Jesus stands there all alone

A murderer is spared and set free

The carpenters make a cross from a tree

His Flesh was beaten from his bones

He did not scream or even moan

A crown of thorns thrust upon his head

His precious blood dripping, he was almost dead

Pilate washed his hands of the whole affair

Our Lord knew fully, his time was near

So he took up his cross with our sins how it weighed 

Each step he took to his Father he prayed

Falling three times he suffered in pain

Please, my Father in Heaven, let this not be in vain

On the cross he was thrown, his eyes looked up to heaven

He felt so alone with this cross he was given

Nailed and lifted his eyes looked down

For his garments dice rolled across the ground

His mother's heartbroken with tears in her eyes

The dark clouds gathered above in the sky

Forgive them Father for they know not what they do

His head fell limp and his mission was through

Lightning, thunder, and rain from the sky

There was no doubt now for our sins he had died

God the Father's love is so great for everyone

That He gave us Himself as He gave us His Son

Amen! God's Servant 

Anthony Raymond

The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me

Jesus came to Nazareth, where he grew up, and went according to his custom into the synagogue on the sabbath day. He stood up to read and was handed a scroll from the prophet Isaiah. He unrolled the scroll and found the passage where it was written: "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring glad tidings to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, and to proclaim a year acceptable to the Lord."
Rolling up the scroll, he handed it back to the attendant and sat down, and the eyes of all in the synagogue looked intently at him. He said to them, "Today this Scripture passage is fulfilled in your hearing."
Consideration: Jesus makes a very clear statement by reading this scripture passage. The Lord God sent him on a clear mission; and he has fulfilled what the Father sent him to accomplish.