Sixth Sunday of Easter
Acts 15:1-2, 22-29; Rev. 21: 10-14, 22-23; Jn 14: 23-29
“ My peace is my gift to you.”
During this season of Resurrection, we read continually in the Scriptures of the gift of peace that Jesus gives to His disciples. It is this same gift of peace that has been bestowed on us. In this busy world of ours, peace is a long sought after prize for which people long.
If we look up the definition of peace, we find peace is “a state of quiet, calm and tranquility.” We are aware that peace is more than just the absence of noise. In today’s Gospel of John, we see that the disciples are experiencing a great deal of turmoil. Jesus has just told them that the Holy Spirit the Advocate will come and He will be going away – leaving them.
Jesus is preparing them for the future – one that for the disciples will be different, new, and perhaps fearful. But it is here that Jesus offers them the gift of peace so that they will not be troubled or afraid. To experience the peace of Christ is to rid us of what is troublesome and fearful and let the peace of Jesus take hold of us. In our hectic lives, do we allow ourselves to be gifted with this peace?
We are gifted daily with the gift of peace if we but open ourselves to receive it. This is but one way that our God is present to us – a sign that God is always with us. How do we allow the gift of peace to permeate our lives and affect everyone we meet? Are we conscious of the ways we can bring peace to someone else? How can we keep peace amid turmoil and still share peace with our families and others?
Perhaps our challenge as we approach the feast of the Ascension is to find the quiet time to ask for the peace of Jesus consistently. We can also pray that we continue to be instruments of peace in our world today.
PRAYER: Loving God, enable each of us to be that instrument of peace which you call us to be. Let your peace fill the world with love, and banish fear and hatred from all. We thank you for your gift of peace and pray that we may be true to your calling. Amen.
Sister Barbara Werner, OP
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