Daily Catholic Lectio
Tue, 30 Apr 2024
Fifth Week of Easter – Tuesday
Acts 14:19-28. John 14:27-31
Peace to you!
In our Holy Eucharistic celebration, before we partake in the communion, our last prayer is for peace. The celebrant quotes the words of Jesus – “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you” – and prays. As we are about to exchange peace with one another, the prayer prepares us to own the peace that Jesus grants us.
We call Jesus the Prince of Peace. But, from the portraits of the gospel, what we see is that Jesus never enjoyed peace – from our human perspective. At his birth, there was no peace for him; there was no place for him in the inn, King Herod wanted to take away his life, and the family was tossed between Bethlehem, Egypt, and Nazareth. During his ministry, Jesus had no peace – his disciples did not understand him, or misunderstood him; people sought him after only for food and miracles, his enemies were giving him troubles; there was no peace when he died; his disciples betrayed him, denied him, and deserted him.
Though in our eyes Jesus seems to have no peace, he possessed God’s peace within. He never let others steal his peace.
Jesus gives us this peace. He defines his peace as not the peace of the world. Jesus acknowledges that the world also has the capacity to give us peace. But, the peace of the world has two annexures – anxiety, and fear; anxiety because of our thoughts; fear because peace may disappear.
Jesus gives us his peace, which is free from anxiety and fear.
How do we obtain the peace that Jesus gives us?
(1) Through a relationship with him or through God experience – at least 10 minutes a day, let us allot for God.
(2) Doing his will.
(3) Forgive more.
(4) Developing gratitude.
(5) Living mindfully.
(6) Knowing our boundaries and respecting those of others.
(7) Being kind to oneself.
(8) Developing empathy and resilience.
Let us resolve to get rid of our anxieties and fears. An enlightened person once said, “There is no such thing as peace of mind. As long as the mind is there, peace will not be there. Peace is for the lunatics.” Let us celebrate the uncertainties of life.
In the first reading, we see a battle fought by Paul and Barnabas. The people of Lystra, who said, “Gods have come down to us in human form,” soon turned against the apostles and went to the extreme of stoning them to death. The apostles got up and went their way. But they never carried that negative experience along. With a lot of enthusiasm, they continue to preach the gospel in other places. They did not allow the negative experience to shape their thoughts.
When we change our mindset or attitude, we will be able to control situations and people, and we can control our responses to them.
Through an attitudinal change, we can get rid of anxiety and fear, and we can experience the peace that God gives.
#
“Faith has to do with things that are not seen and hope with things that are not at hand,” says Saint Thomas Aquinas. (Jubilee A. D. 2025, bite 85)
Fr. Yesu Karunanidhi
Archdiocese of Madurai
Missionary of Mercy
# Be M.er.cy.Fool
Yesu Karunanidhi 
Leave a comment