I Have Seen the Lord!

Easter Sunday

Opening

Let's begin with a moment of silence, centering our minds, bodies, and hearts upon the Lord our God.

Quote

“All who truly believe in Christ and cleave to Him with all their soul, are changed into his image by the power of his Resurrection.” -St. Theophan the Recluse

Reflection

“I have seen the Lord!” In just five words, Mary Magdalene points us not only to the aim and destination of this Lenten season but also to the entire purpose of human existence. To live is to see the Lord, encountering the living and resurrected Christ in all His mystery and wonder. Any act of devotion, practice of prayer, or habit of faith is meant to lead you to a single destination: Jesus Christ.

If you’ve made it to the end of this book and the season of Lent, it has undoubtedly been filled with life’s ups and downs—moments of great joy and wonder interwoven with unexpected pain and acute loss. Life is never an easily-distinguished season of joy or sorrow. Instead, we live in the tension of multiple emotions and realities. Thus, our “return” to the Lord is never simple or straightforward. We must contend daily with the sickness within while simultaneously longing for the healing that comes from above.

Today, on Resurrection Sunday, we return to the empty tomb, looking back at a singular moment that changed the very fabric of creation itself. Yet we also look ahead to the righting of every wrong, the return of our Lord in glory to heal the world. And in the space between glory and glory, the everyday realities of our lives, we return daily, learning to see Jesus today as more beautiful and worthy of unceasing devotion than He was the day before.

And so, having completed our journey of returning to our Lord, let us now cleave to Him with all our might, seeking “the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God” (Col 3:1).

Prayer

O God, who for our redemption gave Your only-begotten Son to the death of the cross, and by His glorious resurrection delivered us from the power of our enemy: Grant us so to die daily to sin, that we may evermore live with Him in the joy of His resurrection; through Jesus Christ Your Son our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.

Reflective Practice

Though our Lenten journey is now complete, our life with Christ is just beginning! Reflect on the ways the Lord has met you in this journey, showing you great mercy, and continue to live daily in His love, returning to Him with a heart of repentance, gratitude, and unceasing devotion.

Closing

If you would like to dive deeper into the themes of this devotional, you are invited to continue by listening to today's Scripture passages, giving thanks to God for His word, and asking Him to write it upon our hearts.

Go in peace today, and let the word of Christ dwell in you richly.

Try Dwell

If you enjoyed this plan and would like to discover additional content from Dwell, click here to subscribe to the app at a discounted rate.