Loving God. Loving People. Making Disciples.
Weekly Gospel Scripture
Beginning Sunday, April 27th
John 20:19-31 NKJV
Then, the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were [a]assembled, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in the midst, and said to them, “Peace be with you.” 20 When He had said this, He showed them His hands and His side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord.
21 So Jesus said to them again, “Peace to you! As the Father has sent Me, I also send you.” 22 And when He had said this, He breathed on them, and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. 23 If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.”
So he said to them, “Unless I see in His hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and put my hand into His side, I will not believe.”
26 And after eight days His disciples were again inside, and Thomas with them. Jesus came, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, “Peace to you!” 27 Then He said to Thomas, “Reach your finger here, and look at My hands; and reach your hand here, and put it into My side. Do not be unbelieving, but believing.”
28 And Thomas answered and said to Him, “My Lord and my God!”
29 Jesus said to him, [b]“Thomas, because you have seen Me, you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”
Then, the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were [a]assembled, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in the midst, and said to them, “Peace be with you.” 20 When He had said this, He showed them His hands and His side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord.
21 So Jesus said to them again, “Peace to you! As the Father has sent Me, I also send you.” 22 And when He had said this, He breathed on them, and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. 23 If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.”
Seeing and Believing
24 Now Thomas, called the Twin, one of the twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. 25 The other disciples therefore said to him, “We have seen the Lord.”So he said to them, “Unless I see in His hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and put my hand into His side, I will not believe.”
26 And after eight days His disciples were again inside, and Thomas with them. Jesus came, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, “Peace to you!” 27 Then He said to Thomas, “Reach your finger here, and look at My hands; and reach your hand here, and put it into My side. Do not be unbelieving, but believing.”
28 And Thomas answered and said to Him, “My Lord and my God!”
29 Jesus said to him, [b]“Thomas, because you have seen Me, you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”
That You May Believe
30 And truly Jesus did many other signs in the presence of His disciples, which are not written in this book; 31 but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name.Weekly Prayer
Beginning Sunday, April 27th
Almighty and everlasting God, who in the Paschal mystery
established the new covenant of reconciliation: Grant that all
who have been reborn into the fellowship of Christ's Body
may show forth in their lives what they profess by their faith;
through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you
and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
established the new covenant of reconciliation: Grant that all
who have been reborn into the fellowship of Christ's Body
may show forth in their lives what they profess by their faith;
through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you
and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
Daily Scripture Readings
Beginning Sunday, April 27th
The daily readings expand the range of biblical reading in worship and personal devotion by providing daily citations for the fulthl three-year cycle of the Revised Common Lectionary. These readings complement the Sunday and festival readings: Thursday through Saturday readings help prepare the reader for the Sunday ahead; Monday through Wednesday readings help the reader reflect on and digest what they heard in worship readings the previous Sunday.
- Sunday, April 27, 2025: Second Sunday of Easter
- Monday, April 28, 2025: Psalm 122; Esther 7:1-10; Revelation 1:9-20;
- Tuesday, April 29, 2025: Psalm 122; Esther 8:1-17; Revelation 2:8-11;
- Wednesday, April 30, 2025: Psalm 122; Esther 9:1-5, 18-23; Luke 12:4-12;
- Thursday, May 01, 2025: Psalm 30; Isaiah 5:11-17; Revelation 3:14-22;
- Friday, May 02, 2025: Psalm 30; Isaiah 6:1-4; Revelation 4:1-11;
- Saturday, May 03, 2025: Psalm 30; Genesis 18:1-8; Luke 14:12-14;
Hallow
A Guided Prayer & Meditation App
HALLOW
Hallow is a prayer app that offers audio-guided meditation sessions to help us grow in our faith & spiritual lives and find peace in God. Explore over 10,000 different sessions on contemplative prayer, meditation, Bible readings, music, and more.
In today’s world, we’re stressed, anxious, distracted, & can’t sleep. At the same time, we’re searching for deeper meaning, purpose, & relationships. We believe these two challenges can be addressed with the same solution: peace in Jesus. In the end, revealing the peaceable kingdom of Christ in earth is the goal:-)
WHAT YOU GET
Additional features to help customize your prayer experience:
Hallow is a prayer app that offers audio-guided meditation sessions to help us grow in our faith & spiritual lives and find peace in God. Explore over 10,000 different sessions on contemplative prayer, meditation, Bible readings, music, and more.
In today’s world, we’re stressed, anxious, distracted, & can’t sleep. At the same time, we’re searching for deeper meaning, purpose, & relationships. We believe these two challenges can be addressed with the same solution: peace in Jesus. In the end, revealing the peaceable kingdom of Christ in earth is the goal:-)
WHAT YOU GET
- Daily prayers: Pray daily across methods including 3 of our most popular - Lectio Divina (on the Daily Readings), the Rosary, & the Divine Mercy Chaplet
- Christian Meditation: This can seem similar to mindfulness meditation in learning to be comfortable in silence, but the difference is the goal is never to remain in ourselves, but always to lift our hearts & minds to God, to talk with Him, listen to Him, & recognize His presence with us
- Sleep Bible Stories: Try Night Prayer from Liturgy of the Hours / Daily Office, and Catholic Bible stories read by folks like Jonathan Roumie from the Chosen or Fr. Mike Schmitz from the New American Bible
- Ignatian Examen: Reflect on your day & discover an awareness of God, Jesus Christ, & the Holy Spirit
- Lectio Divina: Enter into a conversation with God through Bible passages / Scripture
- Taizé & Gregorian Chant: Meditative chant & music
- Community: Match your prayers to the season with the #pray40 Lent Challenge, starting Ash Wednesday, or our #pray25 Advent Challenge for Christmas
- Homilies & Guests: From Father Mike Schmitz, and on topics on being a Catholic Dad, St. Augustine & more!
- Praylists: Sessions on joy, humility, discernment, or stress / anxiety / calm
- Challenges: Re-discover the Our Father, Stations of the Cross, Psalms, and Saints - or start with the Intro 9 Day Novena
- Litanies & Novenas: Try out the Litany of Humility, the 54 Day Novena, and more!
- Minute Meditations: Jesus, I Trust in You, Angelus, Rosary Decade, St. Michael the Archangel prayer and more!
Additional features to help customize your prayer experience:
- Journal after every prayer
- Choice of man or woman guide
- Options for 3 different lengths for every prayer (typically 5, 10, or 15 minutes)
- Ability to set prayer reminders
- Option to include calming background music like Gregorian Chant
- Ability to download sessions for offline listening
- Ability to join a Hallow Family to share prayer intentions and prayer reflections with one another
Prayers for International Wars & Conflicts
For the peace of humanity, nations, & enemies
How can we pray? What do we pray?
“When you don’t know what to pray, say your prayers.”—Unknown
Here are a few prayers we can pray together in unity for our world and it’s peace:
__________________________
For The Human Family
O God, you made us in your own image and redeemed us through Jesus your Son: Look with compassion on the whole human family; take away the arrogance and hatred which infect our hearts; break down the walls that separate us; unite us in bonds of love; and work through our struggle and confusion to accomplish your purposes on earth; that, in your good time, all nations and races may serve you in harmony around your heavenly throne; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
For Peace
Eternal God, in whose perfect kingdom no sword is drawn but the sword of righteousness, no strength known but the strength of love: So mightily spread abroad your Spirit, that all peoples may be gathered under the banner of the Prince of Peace, as children of one Father; to whom be dominion and glory, now and for ever. Amen.
Peace Among Nations
Almighty God our heavenly Father, guide the nations of the world into the way of justice and truth, and establish among them that peace which is the fruit of righteousness, that they may become the kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
Amen.
For Enemies
O God, the Father of all, whose Son commanded us to love our enemies: Lead them and us from prejudice to truth: deliver them and us from hatred, cruelty, and revenge; and in your good time enable us all to stand reconciled before you, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
“When you don’t know what to pray, say your prayers.”—Unknown
Here are a few prayers we can pray together in unity for our world and it’s peace:
__________________________
For The Human Family
O God, you made us in your own image and redeemed us through Jesus your Son: Look with compassion on the whole human family; take away the arrogance and hatred which infect our hearts; break down the walls that separate us; unite us in bonds of love; and work through our struggle and confusion to accomplish your purposes on earth; that, in your good time, all nations and races may serve you in harmony around your heavenly throne; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
For Peace
Eternal God, in whose perfect kingdom no sword is drawn but the sword of righteousness, no strength known but the strength of love: So mightily spread abroad your Spirit, that all peoples may be gathered under the banner of the Prince of Peace, as children of one Father; to whom be dominion and glory, now and for ever. Amen.
Peace Among Nations
Almighty God our heavenly Father, guide the nations of the world into the way of justice and truth, and establish among them that peace which is the fruit of righteousness, that they may become the kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
Amen.
For Enemies
O God, the Father of all, whose Son commanded us to love our enemies: Lead them and us from prejudice to truth: deliver them and us from hatred, cruelty, and revenge; and in your good time enable us all to stand reconciled before you, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
The Common Book of Prayer
The Online Book of Common Prayer
The Common Book of Prayer
One of the ways that we participate in having common ground here at Word of Life Ministry is found in The Common Book of Prayer.
The CBOP is designed to help individuals, families, and congregations pray together across denominations and help you and your community join together each day with the same songs, scriptures, and prayers to compile a beautiful tapestry of prayer that will help the church be one as God is one.
This universal prayer book allows readers to greet each day together, remembering significant dates and Christian heroes in church history, as well as important historic dates in the struggle for freedom and justice. There are morning prayers for each day of the year, evening prayers for each of the seven days of the week, a midday prayer to be repeated throughout the year, and prayers for special occasions.
To access the Book of Common Prayer online, click here:
The Online Book of Common Prayer
The Revised Common Lectionary
Here at Word of Life Ministry we want to make sure that we rehearse The Jesus Story and the story of the people God so that can be imitators and participants within the confines of our own story. We do that by searching the sacred scriptures and implementing them into our daily individual readings as well as our corporate gatherings.
The Revised Common Lectionary is a three-year cycle of weekly lections used to varying degrees by the vast majority of mainline Protestant churches in Canada and the United States. The RCL is built around the seasons of the Church Year, and includes four lections for each Sunday, as well as additional readings for major feast days. During most of the year, the lections are: a reading from the Hebrew Bible, a Psalm, a reading from the Epistles, and a Gospel reading. During the season of Easter, the Hebrew Bible lection is usually replaced with one from the Acts of the Apostles. The lections from the Hebrew Bible are sometimes chosen from the Apocrypha.
The seasons of the Church Year reflect the life of Christ. Consequently, the gospel lections for each Sunday provide the focus for that day. The other lections for a given day generally have a thematic relationship to the gospel reading for that day, although this is not always the case. In Ordinary Time, the Revised Common Lectionary offers two sets of readings for the lessons from the Hebrew Bible. One set proceeds mostly continuously, giving the story of the Patriarchs and the Exodus in Year A, the monarchial narratives in Year B, and readings from the Prophets in Year C. In the other set of readings for Ordinary Time, the readings from the Hebrew Bible are thematically related to the gospel lections.
The gospel readings for each year come from one of the synoptic gospels according to the following pattern:
To access the Revised Common Lectionary online, click here:
The Revised Common Lectionary
The Contemporary Collects
The Collects comprise a set form of prayer which bring together or “collect” our thoughts on a matter, concentrating our minds on a particular desire or intention, be it stewardship, peace, guidance, adoration, thanksgiving for the life of a saint, or any other matter. The Collect for the Day sets the emphasis for the prayers and liturgy of the day. Many of these prayers are very ancient and are among the great devotional riches of our heritage.
In form, collects address God by calling to mind some aspect of His Being, offer petition or petitions for a stated need, and conclude with a clause acknowledging the mediatorial role of Jesus Christ who is known through the eternal activity of the Blessed Trinity.
Here at Word of Life Ministry we are committed to implementing them into our weekly prayer life as well as our corporate gatherings.
To access The Contemporary Collects online, click here:
The Collects - Contemporary
One of the ways that we participate in having common ground here at Word of Life Ministry is found in The Common Book of Prayer.
The CBOP is designed to help individuals, families, and congregations pray together across denominations and help you and your community join together each day with the same songs, scriptures, and prayers to compile a beautiful tapestry of prayer that will help the church be one as God is one.
This universal prayer book allows readers to greet each day together, remembering significant dates and Christian heroes in church history, as well as important historic dates in the struggle for freedom and justice. There are morning prayers for each day of the year, evening prayers for each of the seven days of the week, a midday prayer to be repeated throughout the year, and prayers for special occasions.
To access the Book of Common Prayer online, click here:
The Online Book of Common Prayer
The Revised Common Lectionary
Here at Word of Life Ministry we want to make sure that we rehearse The Jesus Story and the story of the people God so that can be imitators and participants within the confines of our own story. We do that by searching the sacred scriptures and implementing them into our daily individual readings as well as our corporate gatherings.
The Revised Common Lectionary is a three-year cycle of weekly lections used to varying degrees by the vast majority of mainline Protestant churches in Canada and the United States. The RCL is built around the seasons of the Church Year, and includes four lections for each Sunday, as well as additional readings for major feast days. During most of the year, the lections are: a reading from the Hebrew Bible, a Psalm, a reading from the Epistles, and a Gospel reading. During the season of Easter, the Hebrew Bible lection is usually replaced with one from the Acts of the Apostles. The lections from the Hebrew Bible are sometimes chosen from the Apocrypha.
The seasons of the Church Year reflect the life of Christ. Consequently, the gospel lections for each Sunday provide the focus for that day. The other lections for a given day generally have a thematic relationship to the gospel reading for that day, although this is not always the case. In Ordinary Time, the Revised Common Lectionary offers two sets of readings for the lessons from the Hebrew Bible. One set proceeds mostly continuously, giving the story of the Patriarchs and the Exodus in Year A, the monarchial narratives in Year B, and readings from the Prophets in Year C. In the other set of readings for Ordinary Time, the readings from the Hebrew Bible are thematically related to the gospel lections.
The gospel readings for each year come from one of the synoptic gospels according to the following pattern:
- Year A - Matthew
- Year B - Mark
- Year C - Luke
To access the Revised Common Lectionary online, click here:
The Revised Common Lectionary
The Contemporary Collects
The Collects comprise a set form of prayer which bring together or “collect” our thoughts on a matter, concentrating our minds on a particular desire or intention, be it stewardship, peace, guidance, adoration, thanksgiving for the life of a saint, or any other matter. The Collect for the Day sets the emphasis for the prayers and liturgy of the day. Many of these prayers are very ancient and are among the great devotional riches of our heritage.
In form, collects address God by calling to mind some aspect of His Being, offer petition or petitions for a stated need, and conclude with a clause acknowledging the mediatorial role of Jesus Christ who is known through the eternal activity of the Blessed Trinity.
Here at Word of Life Ministry we are committed to implementing them into our weekly prayer life as well as our corporate gatherings.
To access The Contemporary Collects online, click here:
The Collects - Contemporary