Sunday April 20, 2025

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There is no gain in salvation without the pain of sacrificial love.

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Good News Reflection for:

Easter Sunday, The Resurrection of the Lord
April 20, 2025

Today’s Prayer:

Lord Jesus: May the victory of your resurrection reveal itself strongly in my life. Make me be a witness that you are alive among us! Amen.

IMPROVE YOUR DAY!
Powerful Catholic prayers are available on our YouTube channel.

Today’s Readings:

The Mass of Easter Day
Acts 10:34a, 37-43
Ps 118:1-2, 16-17, 22-23
Colossians 3:1-4 or 1 Corinthians 5:6b-8
John 20:1-9 or Matthew 28:1-10
bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/042025.cfm
USCCB Podcast of the Readings:
bible.usccb.org/podcasts/audio/2022-04-17

Christ’s victory for your crosses

This reflection is also a video reflection:
gnm-media.org/joy-in-daily-life-is-triumph-of-the-cross/

Alleluia! Celebrate the healing and increased faith that comes from growing closer to Jesus through the faith-building exercises of Lent and the solemn meditations of Holy Week!

The doorway into heaven is the cross. Experiencing the glory of the celebration of Easter — deep within our hearts, within our needs, within our desires — began with accepting our sorrows and sacrifices and sufferings are our own personal connections to Jesus. And now, Easter joy comes not only from accepting what Jesus did for you on the cross but also from continuing the journey, side by side, step by step with Jesus.

When we’re sincere about following Christ, if we truly want to grow in faith, we do whatever he does, united to his ministry of helping others grow in their eternal relationship with God. In this, we face the cross again and again. There is no gain in salvation without the pain of sacrificial love.

The victorious alleluia of Easter is the triumph of the cross. It’s the realization that life doesn’t have to be free of troubles in order to be full of joy. It’s the day-to-day living out of a faith that comes from trusting that God is carrying us through the trials and bringing good out of bad.

Our cross is a soft word that we speak when someone else is angry and we feel like shouting. Our cross is a hand outstretched to comfort the afflicted when it’s inconvenient and we feel like withdrawing. Our cross is a good deed that we do to those who treat us unjustly and we feel like retaliating. And our resurrection is the joy that comes from knowing that we have made a difference in the lives of others for the sake of God’s kingdom.

Love that’s given when it’s difficult is a suffering love, a passionate love, a salvific love, i.e., it benefits the eternal lives of others. Then, our sacrifices have a value of endless worth. This is so much better than a self-serving, easy life. It’s eternally better! Easter Sunday Mass is the celebration of rising with Jesus into glorious victory over evil.

Questions for Personal Reflection:
What sacrifices are you suffering from right now? Write Jesus a love letter that connects your pain to his pain on the cross, then rest quietly with him as if you were sharing his tomb with him. When you’re ready to rise from your chair, celebrate that God appreciates all you have done for his kingdom; this is your resurrection!

Questions for Family & Community Faith Sharing:
Describe the time when a bad experience turned into something good. What did you learn from it about God or faith? How do you know that you’re an Easter Christian?

Discover more of the Father’s love for you. Read Terry Modica’s book: “To the Father’s Heart“. For more information, go to https://tothefathersheart.com/

© by Terry A. Modica, Good News Ministries

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