This page was updated 02/01/2008 08:30 PM Click here for Men of Epiphany home page

Praying to Jesus from the Heart

Sunday, April 23, 2006
Second Sunday of Easter
Acts 4:32-35
Psalm 118:2-4,13-15,22-24
1 John 5:1-6
John 20:19-31

Click here for readings  (For quick review only; bring your Bible)

It was a confusing time. The Romans had killed Jesus, and the frightened apostles were in hiding, wondering if they were next. Sure, Mary Magdalene claimed to have seen Jesus alive, but how could they be sure? Just then, when they needed it most, Jesus appeared and said, “Peace be with you.” Too bad that Thomas wasn’t with them. All alone, with the testimony of the other apostles challenging all logic, he too needed to see Jesus in the flesh.

In a sense, we should commend Thomas for holding out and not just going along with the crowd. That probably took some courage! Thomas’ demand for objective proof may seem like stubbornness or unbelief to us. But there’s another way of looking at this story that gives us a model for our own lives.

A young man struggling with his faith once prayed, “God, if you’re real, prove it.” And God did! Like Thomas’ challenge, this fellow’s prayer may sound disrespectful, but it was really an expression of the longing in his heart. The truth is, God loves it when we seek him out. We may find it incredible, but God actually delights in answering these kinds of prayers because he sees in them open hearts begging for revelation.

Thomas had the good fortune of being around when Jesus walked the earth and seeing his risen body. But we really aren’t disadvantaged because we live twenty-one centuries later. Every one of us can experience Jesus just as powerfully as Thomas and the other apostles did. All we have to do is commit ourselves to honest, humble prayer from the heart.

A simple prayer asking Jesus to reveal himself can unleash a torrent of divine revelation. Jesus loves to show himself to us in ways that convince us that he is alive and that he loves us. Why? Because he wants to hear all of us echo Thomas’ cry of love and faith, “My Lord and my God!”

“Jesus, thank you for your death and resurrection. Come, Lord, and reveal yourself to me more deeply today. Help me to love you with all my heart.”

Questions for Reflection/Discussion by Catholic Men

1. The first reading says that the first community of believers "was of one heart and mind." What steps can you take to promote a greater sense of community and unity in your family? In your discussion group? In your parish?

2. The first reading also says that as a sign of how much they loved one another, the first communities cared for the "needy person among them." What steps can you take to serve the needy in your parish and in your community? Keep in mind their needs are not just physical (food and shelter), but spiritual as well (experiencing Jesus’ love through you). What additional steps can you take to help them come to know Christ as their risen Lord?

3. The responsorial psalm ends with “This is the day the Lord has made, let us be glad and rejoice in it.” During this Easter Season of grace, what are the things that you are rejoicing in?

4. In the second reading, we hear these words, “Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is begotten by God.” Do you believe that you are a beloved child of God through your faith in Jesus Christ? Share some times when Jesus has revealed his great love to you. What impact did it have?

5. The Gospel tells us we are not alone or without help in the Christian life we have embraced. In the Gospel, Jesus’ breathes on the disciples and they receive the Holy Spirit. As baptized and confirmed Catholics, we too have received the Holy Spirit. How can you be more open to the Holy Spirit's work in your life? How can you help to pass this wonderful gift of the Spirit to the men in your discussion group? Your family and others?

6. The victory over sin and death, which was won for us in the resurrection of Christ, is ours as a gift by faith. It is not through anything we have to do. We simply have to respond: “Lord, I believe it is true because you have said it is true.” Jesus tells Thomas of the value he places on our faith. Blessed - happy - are those who have not seen and have believed! They enjoy his gift of peace, and true life - the life of the Spirit that Jesus breathes into us. What steps can you take individually, and as a group of men, to build your faith and be an agent of peace in your family, your parish, and your work?

7. In the meditation, we hear these words, “Every one of us can experience Jesus just as powerfully as Thomas and the other apostles did. All we have to do is commit ourselves to honest, humble prayer from the heart. A simple prayer asking Jesus to reveal himself can unleash a torrent of divine revelation. Jesus loves to show himself to us in ways that convince us that he is alive and that he loves us.” Share what happened when you have prayed this kind of prayer from the heart. If you have never prayed this kind of prayer, try experimenting with it and share the fruits of it at your next men’s group meeting.

Come Holy Spirit!  ~  Come Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful, and en kindle in them the fire of your love. Send forth your spirit and they are created, and you renew the face of the earth. Let us pray: O God, you taught the hearts of your faithful by sending them the light of your Holy Spirit. In that same spirit give us your right judgment and the joy of your consolation. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen

Prayer to St. Joseph  ~  Glorious St. Joseph, guide and protector of the Holy Family, we ask that you obtain for us from your son, Jesus, the strength and wisdom to lead our families to their Father in heaven. Most Chaste spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary, may we imitate your obedience to the will of God and be ever mindful of the vocation to which we have been called. Amen