As part of Fr. Raj’s announcements from the altar this morning, he encouraged us to take home his pastoral bulletin which contains quotes from  Saints, Fathers of the Church, etc.    As he looked over toward Kathleen and I, he highlighted with a smile that there was even a quote from an Irish Jesuit.    The following is from Brian Grogan, SJ:

You have risen!

You have removed the stone

That blocks the springs of life and hope.

With your loving hands

You have embraced us and our fragile world.

You walk with us on every road we travel,

You sit at every table where we gather.

You have risen!

Stay with us too,

As you did with the Emmaus disciples.

In times of darkness and chaos

May we say

You have risen!

And then in joy and trust

May we smile an Easter smile.

We make our prayer  in confidence. Amen.

 

Teresa of Avila( 1515-1582) wrote

 

Christ has no body, but yours,

No hands, no feet on earth but yours,

Yours are the eyes

With which he looks

Compassion on this world,

Yours are the feet with which he

Walks to do good,

Yours are the hands,

With which he blesses all the world.

Yours are the hands,

Yours are the feet,

Yours are the eyes, you are his body.

Christ has no body now but yours,

No hands, no feet on earth but yours,

Yours are the eyes

With which he looks

Compassion on this world.

Christ has no body

Now on earth but yours.

 

 

In closing, I wish you Easter blessings with this Resurrection prayer  from the bulletin:

 

Awakened Lord,

Lord of the empty tomb—awaken us!

Awaken us from black night to fresh dawn.

Awaken us from brutish sleep to vibrant life.

Awaken us from blindness to vision.

Lord of the resurrection banner—lead us!

Lead us from winter to spring.

Lead us from barren lands to green fields.

Lead us from war to peace.

Renaissance Lord—stay with us!

Stay in our hearts.

Stay in our minds.

Stay in our deeds, our words, our dreams

Lord of the empty tomb—awaken us!