Peace

This is a reflection on the Mass readings of the day.

In today’s gospel, Jesus tells His disciples, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you.
Not as the world gives do I give it to you.”

And the incredible power of that peace is what comes through in the first reading. Because of the explosion of the faith and the numbers of new converts around the time of Pentecost, we can falsely perceive that the faith spread easily in apostolic times, like fire across dry grass. Conversely, St. Paul compares the experience of birthing the faith in His audience to labor pains (cf. Gal. 4:19). Resistance to the Gospel, among Jewish and pagan leaders alike, is impossibly intense, and even where the Apostles are successful, the communities that form are not huge.

And yet, after being stoned and left for dead, St. Paul and his companions rejoice. The travel a wide circuit, and then return to the very location where the stoning occurred. They gather the Christian community together there and recount all the wonders that God has done.

It is not about a lack of hardship, or sheer numbers, that they are rejoicing. Their joy harkens back to Christ’s promise: “My peace I give you. Not as the world gives to I give it to you.” With their hearts united to their Master’s through the Holy Spirit, they see that through their fulfillment of His will, He is reaching those whom He has chosen, those who are prepared to receive His saving message. His will, the will of the sovereign Creator, is being accomplished, and this is enough to bring them great peace.

Is it enough for us to have peace as well? If not, the answer no doubt lies in drawing still closer to His Heart in our daily encounter with Him.

Ideas for conversation with the Lord: Ask Jesus to reveal to you the peace He wants to bring to your heart. Ask Him to remove the obstacles of attachment to your own will and any priorities that do not align to His, through a powerful indwelling of the Holy Spirit.