Tuesday, May 16, 2017
“Peace I leave with you; my
peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give it to you. Do not let
your hearts be troubled or afraid.” John 14:27-28
The peace that Jesus bestows on
us is independent of anything that is happening around us, no matter how great
the storms that may be raging, no matter what interior battles we may be
enduring, no matter what others may be doing to us. How do we find that peace?
By breathing deeply, dispelling outer thoughts and troubles, and locating that
place deep within us where we abide with Jesus alone, and then rest in the
peace we find there. This takes practice, which is why silent prayer and
meditation are so important. It also takes grace that comes from outside us, so
we much continually ask for that grace.
If we can rest in that peace
that Jesus gives us, even if only for a brief amount of time, it will
strengthen us to face whatever may be going on in our lives or in our world.
These days I pray especially for all those who are currently being persecuted
for their faith, that they may receive the grace to rest in that peace.
If you remember, Job was a man
who had to endure many terrible things in his life. And yet, commenting on the
book of Job, Pope Saint Gregory the Great had this to say:
“Amid the tumult of outward
cares, inwardly a great peace and calm is reigning, in love.” Commentary on the Book of Job, 18, 43, 70.
In Clément, p. 270.
Pope St. Gregory was reigning at
a time when Rome was being attacked by Mongol warriors, so his comment on Job
was meant as much for him as for anyone else.
Finally, notice that this peace
is not provided by the world, or by attachment to anything that is of
the world. We cannot gain this peace by going about our wordly pursuits, or by
clinging to any of the deadly sins. Consumerism does not lead to this peace;
discord, rivalry, judgmentalness or greed rob us of this peace. Breathe deeply
and strip yourself of any outward attachments, and rest in that realm within
you where there is nothing but you and Christ, and hear Him speak those words
to you that he spoke to the apostles at a time when their own worlds were about
to be disrupted and overturned.
May that peace be with you
today.
God bless you!
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