[et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”4.24.2″ _module_preset=”default” custom_padding=”7px|||||” border_width_top=”1px” border_color_top=”#ededed” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.24.2″ _module_preset=”default” width=”79.9%” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.24.2″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”][et_pb_text admin_label=”Title” _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” text_text_color=”#000000″ text_font_size=”15px” header_font=”|700||on|||||” header_font_size=”26px” background_color=”#ffc700″ custom_padding=”22px|22px|22px|22px|false|false” border_radii=”on|6px|6px|6px|6px” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”]<\/p>\n
The Resurrection of the Lord<\/p>\n
[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text admin_label=”tagline” _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” text_font_size=”15px” text_letter_spacing=”1px” header_font=”|700|||||||” header_font_size=”26px” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”]<\/p>\n
WHILE IT WAS STILL DARK<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text admin_label=”1.PRAYER” _builder_version=”4.25.1″ _module_preset=”default” text_text_color=”#000000″ header_font=”|700|||||||” header_font_size=”26px” background_color=”#FFFFFF” custom_padding=”22px|22px|22px|22px|false|false” border_radii=”on|6px|6px|6px|6px” border_width_all=”2px” border_color_all=”#FFC700″ global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”]<\/p>\n 1.PRAYER<\/b><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.25.1″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”]<\/p>\n God of light and hope, as Mary stood before the empty tomb on the first Easter Sunday, grieving and uncertain, you were already at work, bringing life from death. In our own moments of loss and doubt, help us to see the signs of hope breaking through, even when we do not yet understand. Fill us with courage to believe in your love and the promise of new life, leading us from darkness into the dawn of your resurrection. Amen.<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text admin_label=”2. SHARING YOUR STORY” _builder_version=”4.25.1″ _module_preset=”default” text_text_color=”#000000″ header_font=”|700|||||||” header_font_size=”26px” background_color=”#FFFFFF” custom_padding=”22px|22px|22px|22px|false|false” border_radii=”on|6px|6px|6px|6px” border_width_all=”2px” border_color_all=”#FFC700″ global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”]<\/p>\n 2. <\/b>SHARING YOUR STORY<\/b><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”]<\/p>\n Share a time when you had to move forward even though you couldn\u2019t see clearly.<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text admin_label=”3. STORIES AROUND THE GLOBE” _builder_version=”4.25.1″ _module_preset=”default” text_text_color=”#000000″ header_font=”|700|||||||” header_font_size=”26px” background_color=”#FFFFFF” custom_padding=”22px|22px|22px|22px|false|false” border_radii=”on|6px|6px|6px|6px” border_width_all=”2px” border_color_all=”#FFC700″ global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”]<\/p>\n 3. STORIES AROUND THE GLOBE<\/strong><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/maryknollsociety.org\/guide\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Screenshot-2025-03-31-at-8.37.01\u202fAM.png” title_text=”Screenshot 2025-03-31 at 8.37.01\u202fAM” force_fullwidth=”on” _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” border_radii=”on|6px|6px|6px|6px” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_text admin_label=”caption” _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” custom_margin=”||20px|||” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”]<\/p>\n Maryknoll Sister Elsie Monge in Ecuador. (Maryknoll Sisters)<\/em><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.27.2″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”]<\/p>\n It can be difficult to find hope in the midst of poverty and oppression. Maryknoll Sister Elsie Monge finds hope in difficult situations. She is the director of the Ecumenical Commission for Human Rights in Ecuador, has long been a steadfast advocate for justice, giving voice to marginalized communities suffering from oppression. Committed to ensuring basic human dignity, she works so that “everyone has breakfast,” while empowering individuals to rise above injustice. Sister Elsie has fought against the exploitation of indigenous and campesino groups, providing legal support, human rights education, and organizing efforts to defend those whose rights have been violated. As president of Ecuador\u2019s Truth Commission (2007\u20132010), she led investigations into state human rights abuses, producing a comprehensive report that earned her a nomination for the Nobel Peace Prize. Her unwavering dedication to justice continues to find and foster new life, and helps communities overcome adversity and build a future rooted in dignity and hope.<\/p>\n (Breakfast on Easter Sunday: A Maryknoll Reflection, Maryknoll Magazine, March 30, 2024)<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text admin_label=”4. GOSPEL STORY” _builder_version=”4.25.1″ _module_preset=”default” text_text_color=”#000000″ header_font=”|700|||||||” header_font_size=”26px” background_color=”#FFFFFF” custom_padding=”22px|22px|22px|22px|false|false” border_radii=”on|6px|6px|6px|6px” border_width_all=”2px” border_color_all=”#FFC700″ global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”]<\/p>\n 4. <\/strong>GOSPEL STORY<\/b><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.25.1″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”]<\/p>\n 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 to the other disciple whom Jesus loved, and told them, \u201cThey have taken the Lord from the tomb, and we don\u2019t know where they put him.\u201d 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 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. John 20:1-9<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text admin_label=”5. REFLECTION ON THE READINGS” _builder_version=”4.25.1″ _module_preset=”default” text_text_color=”#000000″ header_font=”|700|||||||” header_font_size=”26px” background_color=”#FFFFFF” custom_padding=”22px|22px|22px|22px|false|false” border_radii=”on|6px|6px|6px|6px” border_width_all=”2px” border_color_all=”#FFC700″ global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”]<\/p>\n 5. <\/b>REFLECTION ON THE READINGS<\/b><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.25.1″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”]<\/p>\n The Gospel reading for Easter Sunday begins in darkness\u2014not with the triumphant imagery of resurrection, but with the emptiness of the tomb. Even today, we experience this darkness in the inhumanity that pervades our political and social fabric, in the ignorance that strains human relationships. The first light of resurrection feels more like Good Friday than Easter Sunday.<\/p>\n Yet as surely as dawn breaks, Christ rises\u2014but this truth is understood gradually. God works through us even when we do not yet fully comprehend God\u2019s plan, just like Mary of Magdala, who carried the news of the resurrection to the disciples without fully understanding it. As missionary disciples, we, too, are called to move forward in faith with the hope of something we don\u2019t always fully understand. Nonetheless, our acts of faith will break through the darkness, revealing the light of Christ in the world.<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text admin_label=”6. FAITH SHARING” _builder_version=”4.25.1″ _module_preset=”default” text_text_color=”#000000″ header_font=”|700|||||||” header_font_size=”26px” background_color=”#FFFFFF” custom_padding=”22px|22px|22px|22px|false|false” border_radii=”on|6px|6px|6px|6px” border_width_all=”2px” border_color_all=”#FFC700″ global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”]<\/p>\n 6. <\/b>FAITH SHARING<\/b><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”]<\/p>\n Like Mary of Magdala, in what ways is the Spirit inviting you to share the good news of new life where things feel uncertain?<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text admin_label=”7. GO FORTH” _builder_version=”4.25.1″ _module_preset=”default” text_text_color=”#000000″ header_font=”|700|||||||” header_font_size=”26px” background_color=”#FFFFFF” custom_padding=”22px|22px|22px|22px|false|false” border_radii=”on|6px|6px|6px|6px” border_width_all=”2px” border_color_all=”#FFC700″ global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”]<\/p>\n 7. <\/b>GO FORTH<\/b><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.26.0″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”]<\/p>\n This week, find a concrete way to share the hope of Christ\u2019s resurrection with those who are most overlooked and struggling. Visit a homeless shelter, a nursing home, or a street ministry, and bring your full presence to the encounter. Actively listen to their stories, learn their names, and seek to understand their needs. By being fully present, become a vessel of God\u2019s love and mercy, offering hope in the midst of uncertainty.<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text admin_label=”8. PRAYER” _builder_version=”4.25.1″ _module_preset=”default” text_text_color=”#000000″ header_font=”|700|||||||” header_font_size=”26px” background_color=”#FFFFFF” custom_padding=”22px|22px|22px|22px|false|false” border_radii=”on|6px|6px|6px|6px” border_width_all=”2px” border_color_all=”#FFC700″ global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”]<\/p>\n 8. <\/b>PRAYER<\/b><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.26.0″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”]<\/p>\n God of hope and new life, inspire us like Mary of Magdala to act with love and compassion. May our lives reflect the light of Jesus, breaking through uncertainty and bringing peace to all we encounter. Strengthen us to be messengers of justice and mercy, fully present to those in need, so that through our faith, we may become signs of new life in the world. Amen.<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.24.2″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.24.2″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”][et_pb_button button_url=”@ET-DC@eyJkeW5hbWljIjp0cnVlLCJjb250ZW50IjoicG9zdF9saW5rX3VybF9wb3N0Iiwic2V0dGluZ3MiOnsicG9zdF9pZCI6Ijk2NSJ9fQ==@” button_text=”Read Next Guide” button_alignment=”center” _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _dynamic_attributes=”button_url” _module_preset=”default” custom_button=”on” button_text_size=”20px” button_text_color=”#0c71c3″ button_bg_color=”RGBA(255,255,255,0)” button_border_color=”#FFC700″ button_icon=”||divi||400″ button_on_hover=”off” display_conditions=”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” hover_enabled=”0″ custom_css_main_element=”width: 100%;” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content” sticky_enabled=”0″][\/et_pb_button][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Apr 20, 2025<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_et_pb_use_builder":"on","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-958","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"featured_image_src":"","blog_images":{"medium":"","large":""},"acf":[],"ams_acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/maryknollsociety.org\/guide\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/958","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/maryknollsociety.org\/guide\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/maryknollsociety.org\/guide\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/maryknollsociety.org\/guide\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/maryknollsociety.org\/guide\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=958"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/maryknollsociety.org\/guide\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/958\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":973,"href":"https:\/\/maryknollsociety.org\/guide\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/958\/revisions\/973"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/maryknollsociety.org\/guide\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=958"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/maryknollsociety.org\/guide\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=958"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/maryknollsociety.org\/guide\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=958"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}