Sunday 12th April 2026
- 3 days ago
- 4 min read
EASTER 2A
12th April 2026
A short act of worship and daily devotions
Opening Prayers
Find a comfortable position to sit or lie down in,
Take a deep breath in through your nose, and let it out through your mouth,
When you are ready, say out loud or in your head…
Lord, I come into your presence,
Breathe in…breathe out…I come just as I am.
Breathe in…breathe out…
I bring everything I have experienced this past week -
the things I’m proud of, and the things I wish had been different.
Breathe in…breathe out…
I bring the people that enriched my week, and the people I found it hard to share my week with.
Breathe in…breathe out…
I bring the moments of joy, peace, pride, sorrow, frustration, regret and pain
Breathe in…breathe out…
I bring my hopes for next week.
Breathe in…breathe out…
I lay all of these things at your feet, and rest in your loving presence.
Amen.
Opening hymn/song 44 STF – Come on and celebrate – YouTube
You may now wish to say the Lord’s Prayer in a version or translation with which you are familiar.
Reading: John 20:19-31 – Click for reading
Responding to the reading
The disciples are hiding behind locked doors.
They are afraid: afraid of the authorities, afraid of what might happen next, perhaps even afraid that everything they had believed in has come to nothing. Their world has been shaken. Hope feels fragile. So they gather together, not in triumph, but in uncertainty.
And into that room, into that fear, Jesus appears. His first words are simple and profound: “Peace be with you.” Not rebuke. Not disappointment. Not “Why did you doubt?” But peace.
Then he shows them his wounds. The marks of suffering are still there. Resurrection has not erased them. Instead, they have become part of the story of healing. The risen Christ carries the reality of pain, yet transforms it.
And then comes Thomas.
Thomas is often called “Doubting Thomas,” but perhaps that is unfair. Thomas simply says what many of us feel: “Unless I see… unless I touch… I cannot believe.” He refuses to pretend certainty when he doesn’t have it.
A week later, Jesus returns, and this time he speaks directly to Thomas. Again, he offers peace. He invites Thomas to see, to touch, to bring his questions honestly into the light. This moment reminds us that faith is not the absence of doubt. Faith grows through questioning, through wrestling, through seeking truth with sincerity.
For those of us walking a thoughtful and open-hearted path of faith, this story offers deep reassurance. Doubt is not a failure. It can be a doorway. Honest questions can lead us deeper into relationship with God. But this passage also invites us beyond the locked room. Jesus says, “As the Father has sent me, so I send you.”
The peace we receive is not meant to stay hidden behind closed doors. It is meant to move outward, to shape our lives, our communities, our work for justice and compassion.
So today, reflect on these questions:
Where are the “locked doors” in your own life—places where fear or uncertainty are holding you back?
What doubts or questions are you carrying, and how might you bring them honestly before God?
How might Christ’s gift of peace empower you to step out into the world with courage and compassion?
Jesus meets the disciples exactly where they are: fearful, uncertain, imperfect, and he meets us there too.
And his first words are still the same: “Peace be with you.”
Responding in music 239 STF – Sent by the Lord am I – YouTube
Blessing
As you head from this place, know that the grace of God goes before you,
Go with the Spirit in your midst, and the love of Christ in your hearts.
Go, to love as you were first loved.
Amen.
Prayers and Prayer Pointers For This Week
Monday 13th April
Light of the world, Though the outside world can feel dark and dangerous, Help me to see signs of your light, everywhere. Shine in and through me this day, I pray. Amen.
Tuesday 14th April
On this day 210 years ago, in Barbados, a slave called Bussa led a slave rebellion, for which he is remembered as the countries first national hero.
The slave trade was a great evil, which is ended by a combination of action, lobbying and rebellion. But sadly, slavery continues today.
Your prayers might like to be for all those affected, including families who are left behind when people are trafficked or sold into slavery, and for all working to tackle the issue.
Wednesday 15th April
On this day in 1755, Samuel Johnson’s ‘Dictionary of the English Language’ was published – amongst the most influential dictionaries in English.
Words matter, don’t they? Words create new worlds and help to shape our experience of reality. What words do you need to offer to God in prayer today? What words are motivating or engaging you in your journey of faith today?
Thursday 16th April
Perhaps connected to / building on yesterday’s prayer prompt…today is World Voice Day, a day for celebrating the phenomenon of the human voice.
How are you using your voice today? Is it to build connection, love, hope and reconciliation?
Pray about the ways you might use your voice today, or this week, and how the Spirit of God can be at work in your words, sentences and responses.
Friday 17th April
Calm me Lord as you calm the storm, Still me Lord, keep me from harm.
Amongst all the tumult, help me to be still today, and to know your presence, always with me. Amen.
Saturday 18th April
On this day in 1506, the cornerstone of the current St Peter’s Basilica was laid, marking a significant moment in the development of the Vatican City as it now stands.
Today, let us pray for the buildings and sacred spaces kept and persevered by The Church all over the world. So often a burden or a source of conflict, today let us give thanks for them and all they mean to so many people.
Living, loving God, help us to be living stones in seeking to follow you, Amen.