The Word Among Us

Easter 2004 Issue

Not a subscriber? Subscribe now! »
Read today's Daily Meditation and Reading »

INSIDE THIS ISSUE

Comment | Posted Apr 01, 2004

A factory worker wins the lottery and becomes a millionaire overnight. An older married couple discover that they are pregnant. A starving orphan in Sudan is adopted by a wealthy European family and whisked off to a new life of privilege and plenty. In each of these situations, an unexpected turnaround causes someone's life to change dramatically, and for the better. But as wonderful as these turnarounds are, it's also true that the changes described in each situation will require a significant amount of adjustment. The orphan from Sudan, for instance, must learn a whole new language and culture. The childless couple must learn how to welcome a new person into their lives and deal with all the challenges of parenthood at an older age. More »

The First Letter of Peter has much to tell us about who we are in Christ.

Comment | Posted Apr 01, 2004

Imagine what it must have been like in those first months and years after Jesus' resurrection. The fear and despair that the apostles experienced on Good Friday quickly washed away when Jesus appeared to them on Easter Sunday. And then the next forty days were spent learning from Jesus about the kingdom of God in a whole new way. They knew now that they weren't just hearing provocative teachings from a charismatic rabbi. The kingdom that Jesus talked about had become a life-changing reality for them. Jesus had breathed the Holy Spirit upon them, causing them to receive the promise of heaven in their hearts. More »

Special Feature

A nun's journey from misery to mystery.

Comment | Posted Apr 01, 2004

In November 2001, I consulted a medical specialist to find out why I couldn't shake my cough or climb a flight of stairs without getting winded. Since I exercised regularly and had never been a smoker, I suspected nothing more serious than a sinus infection. More »

Life lessons from Sts. Perpetua and Felicity.

Comment | Posted Apr 01, 2004

"Holy martyrs, Perpetua and Felicity, pray for us." Many times in my life, I have heard Perpetua and Felicity mentioned in litanies of saints and prayers of the Church. Until recently, though, I never gave them much thought. I did have a vague sense that these two women—martyrs of the early church—must have been important to be singled out. But they seemed so distant and exalted, so far removed from my ordinary life as a wife and a mother of four young children. How could I possibly relate? More »