He Is Risen!

“On the first day of the week, very early in the morning, the women took the spices they had prepared and went to the tomb. ² They found the stone rolled away from the tomb, ³ but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. ⁴ While they were wondering about this, suddenly two men in clothes that gleamed like lightning stood beside them. ⁵ In their fright the women bowed down with their faces to the ground, but the men said to them, “Why do you look for the living among the dead? ⁶ He is not here; he has risen! Remember how he told you, while he was still with you in Galilee: ⁷ ‘The Son of Man must be delivered over to the hands of sinners, be crucified and on the third day be raised again.’ ” ⁸ Then they remembered his words.”
Luke 24:1-8

Easter Blessings to all of you at Shepherding All God’s Creatures and beyond!!

After Jesus was crucified and rose again on the third day, he remained on earth approximately 40 days appearing to others and his disciples; he continued to heal, teach and love.  Before ascending to the Father, he told his disciples:  “…And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”  ~Matthew 28:20

We pray all of you know the Father’s love, his comfort, his guidance, that you lay all your cares at his feet and rest in his everlasting arms, knowing he has done ALL for you, for me and for the animals in giving freely his life for us, so that in and through him, we are given his life – we are made a new creation in him!

He gave his life to redeem us, to make a way where there seemed to be no way! Find rest in him! Find in him the peace that surpasses all understanding and transcends all our circumstances, no matter what they are or how bleak they may seem.

Know that the Father loves all that he created more than we can ever know or imagine. Live into the vision of a peaceful creation covering the whole earth – where war, violence, death and suffering by humans and by animals, the turmoil and ambiguity that we know all too well living in this dark world will be forever erased, not only for you and for me, but for the creatures we so dearly love and fight for. Hold fast to this truth, and to his everlasting love for us. He said he would never leave or forsake us.  Trust in him this Easter!

The Peace Prayer

Lord, make me an instrument of Thy peace;
Where there is hatred, let me sow love;
Where there is injury, pardon;
Where there is error, the truth;
Where there is doubt, the faith;
Where there is despair, hope;
Where there is darkness, light;
And where there is sadness, joy.

O Divine Master,
Grant that I may not so much seek
To be consoled, as to console;
To be understood, as to understand;
To be loved as to love.

For it is in giving that we receive;
It is in pardoning that we are pardoned;
And it is in dying that we are born to eternal life. Amen.

~Author Unknown (though often attributed to St Francis of Assisi)

Lastly, our common prayer for ALL Creation:

ACC (Animal Christian Concern) “Alpha and Omega” Prayer

Christ Jesus,
You are the beginning and the end.
In you all things were created
And in you all things are redeemed.

Christ Jesus,
You are Lord of Creation.
It was for all that you gave your life
On the Cross, a perfect sacrifice.
Take now, to your open arms,
Our grief for your creation:
For your wildlife, struggling against extinction;
For the hunted and the trapped;
For the abandoned and the homeless;
For your food animals, unnaturally imprisoned,
Transported and slaughtered in terror;
For your animals cruelly used as laboratory tools.

Christ Jesus,
In us you live as Risen Lord.
Our hearts plead with you now to carry the
Pain of your suffering creatures,
Even to the least of these.

The darkness of the world binds them
As it binds us, O Lord,
And only your love can free us to live
In your light.

Christ Jesus, come.
Redeem your world.
Amen.

By May Tripp

(This prayer is located in Roslyne Smith’s book, Animal Welfare Through the Cross: A Collection of Animal Christian Concern Articles,  found here.  All proceeds go to further the cause for animal welfare.  This prayer is located in Article 2 of the book)

Thank you for reading and following our blog.  We pray you are blessed by our messages and that you will share them with others!  We welcome any comments.  ~Kathy