Weekend Reflection - My peace I give to you.

In today’s gospel, Jesus gives the disciples two gifts. The first is the promise of the Holy Spirit. The second is His peace. Now this was not just a wish for them to have a nice day. Jesus gives the disciples a profound inner peace that reveals they are on the right path as faithful servants of God. It is the calm and the joy of knowing that God will not abandon them—ever. The peace given by Jesus cannot be destroyed by conflict, torture or death.

Our world is filled with obstacles to peace. Jealousy, hatred and ignorance have turned people against one another. In recent years, it seems that “my way or the highway” dominates our society. Conflicts escalate because no one wants to compromise. Cooperation is viewed as weakness. How can we hope for the peace of Jesus when we can’t make peace with one another? How can we profess our belief in the message of Jesus when we put our own wants and desires above those of others?

Jesus offers His peace to us again and again. Every time we go to Mass, we are challenged to extend peace to one another, accept peace from one another, and begin living anew in Christ Jesus. This is not an “in the church and only on Sunday” commitment. As we work towards living out the message of Jesus in the community and world around us, we will begin to truly experience Jesus’ gift of peace.