Easter, the feast of Christ's Resurrection, is the central celebration of the Christian liturgical year. The Resurrection is the foundation of our faith, hope, and courage. Through Jesus' Resurrection, we too will rise from the dead one day, both body and soul.

See Liturgical Calendar–Seasons–Easter for additional background information and prayer.


"Christ is Risen!" Prayer Celebration Notes

Focus		Sharing the Easter story
Materials Needed		Prayer table, Bible, candle, instrumental music, liturgy
Reading		John 20:1–20
Music		"Alleluia," "You Have Put On Christ," Blest Are We Music CD 2; "Jesus is Risen," Barbara Bridge (OCP Publications), "We Walk by Faith," Marty Haugen (GIA Publications)
Preparation		Select some instrumental music to play softly during the prayer celebration. Discuss the apostles’ reactions to Jesus’ arrest, trial, and execution. Remind participants of how the apostles probably felt on Easter morning. Select a leader and Scripture reader. Print out and photocopy liturgy, "Christ Has Risen!"
Adaptation		Choose participants to compose and read short prayers of petition or thanksgiving for use after each reading. They will need to know the readings in advance so they can relate their prayers directly to the Scripture passages.
Additional Materials		"Alleluia," "You Have Put On Christ" Blest Are We Music CD 2 Call RCL Benziger at 1-877-ASK-4-RCL (1-877-275-4725). ORDER NUMBER: 0-382-36653-0 Blest Are We Song Book Words and melody for children; contains music for levels 1-8 ORDER NUMBER: 0-382-36617-4 Blest Are We Accompaniment Book Contains accompaniment music for levels 1-8 ORDER NUMBER: 0-382-36618-2