3rd Sunday in Easter

Year B:  April 22, 2012

First Reading: Acts 3:12-19

First Come the Zebra by Lynne Barasch

(Written for ages 5-9)

Comment: Through his sermon, Peter tells the people that witnessing the lame man’s healing calls not for wonder, but repentance. According to Thomas G. Long, “In the face of God’s deeds of mercy all around us, we are summoned not merely to say, ‘How wonderful!’ but to turn around, to repent, to change our citizenship, and to become a faithful part of God’s work in the world.” (Feasting on the Word, Year B, Volume 2, p. 410) In First Come the Zebra, readers experience a building relationship that is built when two boys’ perspectives are turned around. The work of change has only begun in their reaching out to one another. Their story ends with hope for a changing future where their families may turn around and become friends too.

Second Reading: 1 John 3:1-7

Today is the Birthday of the World by Linda Heller

(Written for ages 3-7)

Comment: “See what love the Father has given us, that we should be called children of God; and that is what we are.” How do we live knowing we are beloved children of God? What does it mean to do what is right? These are helpful questions to explore with children and adults alike. While we cannot be perfect, we can seek to become more fully the people God created us to be. Today is the Birthday of the World describes what a gift it is for us to live into our identity as God’s beloved children.

Gospel Reading: Luke 24:36b-48

The King and the Three Thieves by Kristen Balouch

(Written for ages 4-8)

Comment: “Jesus meets the disciples where they are. Then by inviting the disciples to touch and see, and by eating some fish, he encourages them to move beyond where they are.” (Feasting on the Word, Year B, Volume 2, pp. 424 & 426) This experience of the disciples, according to Nancy R. Blakely, is the transformative power of the resurrection. The thieves in Balouch’s tale also experience transformation. Like the disciples, the thieves encounter a familiar figure they fail at first to recognize. Through their encounter they are reformed and able to begin a new life. New life is the hope of resurrection we celebrate this Easter season. May we also be transformed!

This week’s Lectionary Links post was written by regular contributor Noell Rathbun-Cook.

Lectionary Links: Sunday, April 22, 2012 by Storypath is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.