TUESDAY, FIFTH WEEK OF EASTER
Acts 14: 19-28; Ps 145: 10-13, 21; Jn 14: 27-31
PEACE BE WITH YOU
We live in troubled times. Nations are creating havoc in the lives of their neighbouring ‘enemy’ nations. Families living in fear of their own blood or finding it difficult to make ends meet and individuals struggling to find mental peace and stability in their lives. As the world keeps modernizing, the essence of peace keeps dwindling from our surroundings. The younger generations try to look for silence and tranquility by seeking help from counsellors or taking a short break to a mountain or the outskirts of the city.
Jesus’ disciples would soon be living in fear when Jesus’ would be taken away from them and so He gives them a farewell gift of ‘peace’. For the world, peace is the absence of conflict or war or when storms are stilled but the peace that Jesus has to offer is a soothing and positive force even amid conflicts, storms and tension. It is not something external, but internal. It comes from an inner sense of conviction that God is with us and in us in every circumstance of life – be it good or bad. When the apostles were caught in the storm they panicked even though Jesus was in the boat with them. They were scared because they did not place their trust in Him, so to instill the seed of faith in them He just uttered the words, “Quiet, be still” and at once there was a great calm (cf. Mk 4: 35-41). The evil powers of the world have no power over Jesus nor over us His disciples, thus we need not be afraid of worldly disasters.
Jesus who is also known as ‘The Prince of Peace’ promises us peace which comes from facing our struggles, dealing with and conquering them. As a child feels safe in the arms of his parent, let us learn to sit at the feet of Jesus, share our thoughts and emotions with Him and find the calmness we are looking for in Him, and through His grace let us strive to be people of peace.
Response: Your friends make known, O Lord, the glory of your reign.
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