Daily Bread April 24

Now My Eyes Behold
By Steve Graffeo, Presiding Bishopric


Give ear to my words, O LORD; give heed to my sighing.
Listen to the sound of my cry, my King and my God, for to you I pray.
O LORD, in the morning you hear my voice; in the morning I plead my case to you, and watch….
But let all who take refuge in you rejoice; let them ever sing for joy. Spread your protection over them, so that those who love your name may exult in you.
For you bless the righteous, O LORD; you cover them with favor as with a shield. -Psalm 5:1-3, 11-12 NRSV

So are we like Mary who sees, but does not see? Mary, who is looking for Jesus where she last left him?

Or are we like Mary who yearns so deeply for the familiar voice of Jesus? When we hear it, we can see in new ways and in new places and are blessed with extraordinary surprise and joy.

We need to move from the secondhand experience of reading scripture about the awesome event called the Resurrection to a firsthand personal relationship with Jesus. Job 42:5 says, “I had heard of you by the hearing of the ear, but now my eye sees you.”

It’s about believing and acting on that belief. It’s about seeing Jesus firsthand, reflected in the faces of those around us and the ocean waves of our daily lives.

It is more than remembering the empty tomb.

As the receivers of this firsthand witness, we now hold the responsibility for the continuing proclamation, “Christ is resurrected!” The tomb is empty, and Christ is alive and present in the world.

The resurrected Christ is in our communities waiting for us to meet him there. As disciples, we should be intentional in seeing where Christ is working among us so that we can shout with great joy, “Christ is risen for we have seen the Lord!”

Prayer Phrase

Spirit now live in me.

Spiritual Practice

Breathe deeply and enter a few minutes of silence. Be attentive to where you sense new life emerging in you. Search your memories of the previous day. When did you notice the sacredness of life in surprising places or forms in the world around you?

Today’s Prayer for Peace

Engage in a daily practice of praying for peace in our world. Click here to read today’s prayer and be part of this practice of peace.

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