Praying the Familiar Becomes Unfamiliar Again
May 20, 2026
Fr. John Riccardo
On the evening of that first day of the week, when the doors were locked, where the disciples were, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in their midst and said to them, “Peace be with you.” When He had said this, He showed His hands and His side. The disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord. Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father sent me, so I send you.” And when He had said this, He breathed on them, and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained” (John 20:19-23).
I don’t know about you, but Scripture makes me shake my head sometimes. The reading above is a description of Easter Sunday morning, but the disciples don’t know that yet. All they know is that their Master, the one they had put their hopes in, the one they had thought was the anointed one of God, the one who had done the unthinkable and the unimaginable time and time again — making the blind see, walking on water, curing the lame, raising the dead, feeding thousands of people with scraps of food and more — this one, their friend, had been handed over by someone from inside their small circle. And then he was condemned by the Jewish leaders, and given into the hands of the most powerful empire in the world: Rome. And Rome had done to him what it does to those it considers dangerous and rebels: it had humiliated and tortured him to death. And now, several days later, these men are huddled together, grieving for their friend, utterly shaken by how quickly things went so wrong, confused, wondering what in the world had happened. Oh, and they’re terrified. They must be thinking that they’re next. So there they are in this upper room, the same place where just a few days before Jesus had celebrated with them the Passover, had scandalized them by washing their feet, had further perplexed them by speaking strange words about His body and His blood …
AND THEN HE’S IN THE ROOM!
JESUS!
IS IN THE ROOM!
VERY MUCH ALIVE!
TALKING TO THEM!
SHOWING THE HOLES IN HIS HANDS MADE BY THE ROMAN NAILS!
UNVEILING THE GAPING HOLE IN HIS SIDE WHERE THE ROMAN SOLDIER HAD THRUST HIS SPEAR!
And the best John can come up with to describe this is, “The disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord”? Are you kidding me?!
Everything — everything! — changed at that moment. For the world and for each of these men. Nothing would ever be the same again. The power of Death had been undone. The strong man had been bound. Sins had been washed away. God was beginning the recreation of this world that He so loves. God had revealed His unfathomable love. And so much more.
G.K. Chesterton once wrote, “It is our perennial spiritual and psychological task to look at things that are familiar until they become unfamiliar again.” This is so true. How have we become used to these mysteries we’ve been celebrating in the Easter season? How can it be that we find these realities…dry, boring, dull, of little to no real interest?
This Sunday is the Solemnity of Pentecost, the great day when the Holy Spirit came in power upon the disciples and catapulted them out into a fearful, anxious, hopeless world to joyfully and courageously announce to the world that God is real, He is faithful, He keeps His promises, He has acted to rescue His creation from the enemy’s grip, and He wants His family back. Let us pray that the Spirit will fall in power on us. May He make the familiar unfamiliar again. May He astound us at God’s love and power. May He flood us with joy and courage. And may He send us into our fearful, anxious and hopeless world to announce the Gospel.
ACTS XXIX Prayer Intentions
May 2026
For the Church, that she may be a faithful voice for peace and unity, and a living instrument through which the cries of the world are heard and answered.
For our partnership with the Seminary Formation Council at Mundelein, that our time with the priests may be deeply anointed and serve as a meaningful milestone in their ministry, especially as they prepare to welcome transitional deacons into their parishes.
For the leaders joining us this month for a leadership immersive, that they may encounter true renewal and transformation, and return to their communities strengthened, equipped, and forever changed.
For those making pilgrimage to Greece later this month, that our journey may deepen our understanding of the heroic witness of St. Paul, and inspire us to live with the same courage and fidelity in our own time.
For our Episcopal Advisory Council, Board of Directors, partners, and all who faithfully pray for us, that they may be strengthened by the grace of communion and the gratitude we share as members of the family of God.