(Acts 5:12-16; Ps.118:1-4,22-27; Rv.1:9-13,17-19; Jn.20:19-31) "When I caught sight of Him, I fell down at His feet as though dead." But Jesus "touched [John] with His right hand and said, 'Do not be afraid.'" Thomas exclaimed, "My Lord and my God!" as he humbled himself at the sight of the risen Christ who had appeared before him, and so he was blessed with faith. The first believers "carried the sick out into the streets and laid them on cots and mats so that when Peter came by, at least his shadow might fall on one or another of them." And the sick and possessed brought forth "were all cured." All "those who fear the Lord" know His eternal mercy! Brothers and sisters, let us not be afraid to humble ourselves in awe before the mighty Lord and the apostles He sends forth in His name and with the blessing of the Father. We must set our hearts on "the first and the last, the One who lives," and let nothing keep us from the path to His grace, to the glorious vision of His holy face. He waits. He waits in expectation for all humble souls to turn to the blood poured out by the nail marks in His hands and the wound in His side. He wishes not to have died in vain, and so with power He sends the Spirit out through the ministry and the sacraments of His Church on earth. "Many signs and wonders were done among the people at the hands of the apostles," and these same wonders and more are offered for our edification and our salvation this day. The time of fulfillment is upon us and the Lord Jesus is not remiss with His graces: generously the fount of mercy gushes forth. And as John was surrounded by water on the island of Patmos in the day of his divine vision, so are we surrounded with the blessings of the Lord, if we but come to His presence. He is near. He is waiting. Do not doubt; but believe – and whatever ailment of body or soul, heart or mind, which seems to obstruct your reception of the glory of God, will be removed in an instant, if you but fall down at His feet in awe. Dead before Him we must be, dead to sin and sadness. Alive in the Spirit we must remain, keeping His peace within us. With John let us share "the distress, the kingdom, and the endurance we have in Jesus," and the distress will disappear and the kingdom come, even as we endure all in His name. God's "peace be with you." Written, read & chanted, and produced by James Kurt. Music: "Branch of the Vine" from Loving Spirit, third album of Songs for Children of Light, by James Kurt. ******* O LORD, your mercy endures forever; help us to trust in you. YHWH, let us lay our broken bodies in the streets that your apostle might pass by and we be healed of our infirmity. Let us fall down at the feet of your glorious Son and feel His hand upon us and hear His voice reassuring us. May the risen Jesus be known to us that in faith we might proclaim, "My LORD and my God!" O let His peace be upon us! May the Holy Spirit ever guide us. O LORD, let your divine mercy be upon our souls that we might be forgiven all our sins; all our doubts and fears be washed away in the blood of your Son. He has been rejected by the builders, but those who are pressed hard by the trials of this earthly life know the wonders He does for all who believe. He was once dead but now is alive, and we who believe in Him are raised up from all sin to look upon Heaven. In His wounds we find new life.