Carmel teaches
the Church how to pray.
-Pope Francis & Pope Benedict XV
The Octave
of Easter
April 6-11, 2026
Friday April 10th
The Gospel Reading
Jesus revealed himself again to his disciples
at the Sea of Tiberias.
He revealed himself in this way.
Together were Simon Peter, Thomas called Didymus,
Nathanael from Cana in Galilee,
Zebedee's sons, and two others of his disciples.
Simon Peter said to them, "I am going fishing."
They said to him, "We also will come with you."
So they went out and got into the boat,
but that night they caught nothing.
When it was already dawn,
Jesus was standing on the shore;
but the disciples did not realize that it was Jesus.
Jesus said to them,
"Children, have you caught anything to eat?"
They answered him, "No."
So he said to them,
"Cast the net over the right side of the boat, and you will find something."
So they cast it, and were not able to pull it in because of the number of fish.
So the disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter,
"It is the Lord."
When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he tucked in his garment, for he was lightly clad,
and jumped into the sea.
The other disciples came in the boat,
for they were not far from shore,
only about a hundred yards,
dragging the net with the fish.
When they climbed out on shore,
they saw a charcoal fire with fish on it and bread.
Jesus said to them, "Bring some of the fish you just caught."
So Simon Peter went over and dragged the net ashore
full of one hundred fifty-three large fish.
Even though there were so many, the net was not torn.
Jesus said to them, "Come, have breakfast."
And none of the disciples dared to ask him, "Who are you?"
because they realized it was the Lord.
Jesus came over and took the bread and gave it to them,
and in like manner the fish.
This was now the third time Jesus was revealed to his disciples after being raised from the dead.
—John 21:1-14
Saturday April 11th
The Gospel Reading
When Jesus had risen, early on the first day of the week,
He appeared first to Mary Magdalene,
out of whom he had driven seven demons.
She went and told his companions, who were mourning and weeping.
When they heard that he was alive
and had been seen by her, they did not believe.
After this, he appeared in another form
to two of them walking along on their way to the country.
They returned and told the others;
But they did not believe them either.
But later, as the Eleven were at table, he appeared to them
and rebuked them for their unbelief and hardness of heart
because they had not believed those
who saw him after he had been raised.
He said to them, “Go into the whole world
and proclaim the Gospel to every creature.”
—Mark 16:9-15
Second Sunday of Easter
Divine Mercy Sunday
April 12, 2026
The Gospel Reading
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 them 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 has 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.”
Thomas, called Didymus, one of the Twelve,
was not with them when Jesus came.
So the other disciples said to him, “We have seen the Lord.”
But he said to them,
“Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands
and put my finger into the nailmarks
and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.”
Now a week later his disciples were again inside
and Thomas was with them.
Jesus came, although the doors were locked,
and stood in their midst and said, “Peace be with you.”
Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here and see my hands,
and bring your hand and put it into my side,
and do not be unbelieving, but believe.”
Thomas answered and said to him, “My Lord and my God!”
Jesus said to him, “Have you come to believe because you have seen me?
Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed.”
Now, Jesus did many other signs in the presence of his disciples
that are not written in this book.
But these are written that you may come to believe
that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God,
and that through this belief you may have life in his name.
—John 20:19-31
Hymn of
the
Month
Credits
Text and Music: Rory Cooney, b. 1952. Copyright 1984 Spirit & Song, a division of OCP.
Vocals: Steven Begert-Clark.
Piano: Benjamín Aguilar, O.Carm.
Viola: Briana Bandy.
Produced by: Julian Pardo.
Prayer Intention of
Pope Leo for April 2026
For Priests in Crisis
Let us pray for priests going through moments of crisis in their vocation, that they may find the accompaniment they need and that communities may support them with understanding and prayer.
Pray with the Pope:
Monthly Prayer
Lord Jesus,
Good Shepherd and companion
on the journey,
today we place in your hands all priests,
especially those going through
moments of crisis,
when loneliness weighs heavily,
when doubt clouds their hearts,
and when exhaustion
seems stronger than hope.
You who know their
struggles and wounds,
Renew in them the certainty of
your unconditional love.
Let them feel they are not mere functionaries or lonely heroes,
but beloved sons,
humble and cherished disciples,
and pastors sustained by
the prayer of their people.
Good Father,
teach us as a community
to care for our priests:
to listen without judging,
to give thanks without
demanding perfection,
to share with them the baptismal mission
of proclaiming the Kingdom
in word and deed,
and to accompany them with
closeness and sincere prayer.
May we support those
who so often support us.
Holy Spirit,
rekindle in our priests
the joy of the Gospel.
Grant them healthy friendships,
networks of fraternal support,
a sense of humor when
things don’t go as expected,
and the grace to always
rediscover the beauty of their vocation.
May they never lose trust in You,
nor the joy of serving your Church
with a humble and generous heart.
Amen.
– Pope Leo
The Rosary
Pray the Rosary
in English and Spanish
with the Carmelites here
or on SoundCloud.
Rece el Rosario
en inglés y español
con los Carmelitas aquí
o en SoundCloud.
Iconography
Praying with Spiritual Icons is an ancient practice still used by Eastern Rite Catholics and the Orthodox Church today. Icons present holy images and symbols that invite us to a still, contemplative space, deepening our connection with God. The Icons in our videos are intended to enhance the experience of praying the Liturgy of the Hours.
Many of the Icons we use are written by Carmelite friars. New Icons will appear beginning in the Third Week of Ordinary Time and thereafter, changing through the different liturgical seasons of the Church. We will do our best to briefly explain the symbols found in these icons and list resources for users who wish to learn more about the tradition of this sacred art form.
If praying with Icons interests you, here is a link to a guide that might be helpful.
Additional Reading
”Behold the Beauty of the Lord: Praying with Icons “
by Henri JM Nouwen
”Praying with Icons “
by Jim Forrest
”The Open Door “
by Frederica Mathewes-Green
“The Nativity”
Written by
Filiberto Oregel, O. Carm.
“Christ the Pantocrator”
Written by
Daryl Moresco, O. Carm.
“Christ of the Gospels”
Written by
Filiberto Oregel, O. Carm.
“Certainly, I find that the starting point for prayer
has to be a brief moment
of self-awareness:
an acknowledgment of how
I find myself right then —
peaceful…
troubled…
restless…
joyous…
preoccupied…
angry…
questioning…
Whatever the mood,
this is what I bring to prayer…[.]”
“Upon This Mountain: Prayer in the Carmelite Tradition”
by Mary McCormack, OCD.
Copyright 2009, Teresian Press