Tuesday of the Fifth Week of Easter
THE PEACE OF CHRIST
In carrying out his mission of proclaiming the Gospel, Paul and Barnabas with him, is persecuted, stoned, driven from one place to another. He doesn’t give up; he continues founding local communities and giving them a basic structure of leadership, so that they can function on their own. He has even the courage to “put fresh hearts into the disciples” and to acknowledge that God has accomplished great things in them.
Likewise, before his passion and death, Christ speaks of peace and encourages the apostles not to be troubled or afraid. Nothing will keep him from carrying out his mission of love. No one can rob us of our interior peace, serenity and freedom if we are united with God in love.
Reading 1: Acts 14:19-28
Then some Jews from Antioch and Iconium caught up with them and turned the fickle crowd against them. They beat Paul unconscious, dragged him outside the town and left him for dead. But as the disciples gathered around him, he came to and got up. He went back into town and the next day left with Barnabas for Derbe.
21-22 After proclaiming the Message in Derbe and establishing a strong core of disciples, they retraced their steps to Lystra, then Iconium, and then Antioch, putting grit in the lives of the disciples, urging them to stick with what they had begun to believe and not quit, making it clear to them that it wouldn’t be easy: “Anyone signing up for the kingdom of God has to go through plenty of hard times.”
23-26 Paul and Barnabas handpicked leaders in each church. After praying—their prayers intensified by fasting—they presented these new leaders to the Master to whom they had entrusted their lives. Working their way back through Pisidia, they came to Pamphylia and preached in Perga. Finally, they made it to Attalia and caught a ship back to Antioch, where it had all started—launched by God’s grace and now safely home by God’s grace. A good piece of work.
27-28 On arrival, they got the church together and reported on their trip, telling in detail how God had used them to throw the door of faith wide open so people of all nations could come streaming in. Then they settled down for a long, leisurely visit with the disciples.
Gospel: Jn 14:27-31a
“I’m telling you these things while I’m still living with you. The Friend, the Holy Spirit whom the Father will send at my request, will make everything plain to you. He will remind you of all the things I have told you. I’m leaving you well and whole. That’s my parting gift to you. Peace. I don’t leave you the way you’re used to being left—feeling abandoned, bereft. So don’t be upset. Don’t be distraught.
28 “You’ve heard me tell you, ‘I’m going away, and I’m coming back.’ If you loved me, you would be glad that I’m on my way to the Father because the Father is the goal and purpose of my life.
29-31 “I’ve told you this ahead of time, before it happens, so that when it does happen, the confirmation will deepen your belief in me. I’ll not be talking with you much more like this because the chief of this godless world is about to attack. But don’t worry—he has nothing on me, no claim on me. But so the world might know how thoroughly I love the Father, I am carrying out my Father’s instructions right down to the last detail.
“Get up. Let’s go. It’s time to leave here.”
Prayer
Lord our God, almighty Father,
you have absolute power over the world,
and yet you respect the freedom of people,
even of those who persecute your faithful.
Make us realize that our faith
does not protect us against the evil
which people bring upon one another,
but that you want us to build according to your plan
a kingdom of justice, love and peace.
Help our faith to stand the test
when our meager efforts fail.
We ask you this through Christ, our Lord.
Reflection:
9 May 2023
John 14:27-31
Be calm; trust in Providence.
When writing letters and emails, many of us habitually use “Peace” as a salutation. Some use the term “Shalom” to greet people as they meet. The introductory rites of the liturgy always begin with the greeting: “Peace be with you”. This was the first message of the Risen Lord every time he appeared before his disciples.
Today’s Gospel begins with this similar promise: “Peace I leave with you. My peace I give to you.” The peace that Jesus promises is not only the absence of conflicts; it is a blessing, a gift that contains every other gift we need. If you have the peace of the Lord, you have every other gift! It is the gift of life, the Resurrection, and the beginning of the new creation. The peace of Jesus is universal. It is found in fraternity and in the gentleness of encounters with our brothers and sisters.
The Peace of the Lord is an assurance: “If God is with us, who will be against us?” It is the peace that gives us hope and always accompanies us. However, in this time of wars, pandemics, and societal unrest, people are restless and fearful. God seems silent; He does not respond as we would want. This silence frightens us, makes us doubt, and peace seems under siege.
We are restless, nervous, worried… We would like quick and forceful answers. But the Gospel is a reminder, reassuring us that God is present in the darkest moments of our lives; and that we must not lose faith. Our faith matures when we hold on to it even when the Lord remains invisible; Our faith is purified through the most complex and most demanding events.
Jesus also said: “I am going away, but I will return to you”. This is the Lord’s promise to accompany us. He does not leave us orphans. He will defend us from the Evil One and will comfort us in our struggles and difficulties.
When confronted with the struggles of life, Jesus calls on us to greet and bless one another with ‘Peace’ and rely on God’s providential care. We read in the Book of Numbers: “Thus you shall bless the Israelites: You shall say to them, ‘The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord makes his face to shine upon you, and be gracious to you; the Lord lifts up his countenance upon you, and gives you peace’” (Numbers 6:22-26). This is a beautiful blessing, worth learning by heart and using bravely on occasions instead of saying, “Good luck!”