Tuesday May 4  

FIFTH WEEK OF EASTER

 

THE PEACE OF CHRIST

 

Introduction

In carrying out his mission of proclaiming the Gospel, Paul and Barnabas with him, is persecuted, stoned, driven from one place to another. He doesn’t give up; he continues founding local communities and giving them a basic structure of leadership, so that they can function on their own. He has even the courage to “put fresh hearts into the disciples” and to acknowledge that God has accomplished great things in them.

Likewise, before his passion and death, Christ speaks of peace and encourages the apostles not to be troubled or afraid. Nothing will keep him from carrying out his mission of love. No one can rob us of our interior peace, serenity and freedom if we are united with God in love.

 

Opening Prayer

Lord our God, almighty Father,
you have absolute power over the world,
and yet you respect the freedom of people,
even of those who persecute your faithful.
Make us realize that our faith
does not protect us against the evil
which people bring upon one another,
but that you want us to build according to your plan
a kingdom of justice, love and peace.
Help our faith to stand the test
when our meager efforts fail.
We ask you this through Christ, our Lord.

 

Reading 1: Acts 14:19-28

In those days, some Jews from Antioch and Iconium
arrived and won over the crowds.
They stoned Paul and dragged him out of the city,
supposing that he was dead.
But when the disciples gathered around him,
he got up and entered the city.
On the following day he left with Barnabas for Derbe.

After they had proclaimed the good news to that city
and made a considerable number of disciples,
they returned to Lystra and to Iconium and to Antioch.
They strengthened the spirits of the disciples
and exhorted them to persevere in the faith, saying,
“It is necessary for us to undergo many hardships
to enter the Kingdom of God.”
They appointed presbyters for them in each Church and,
with prayer and fasting, commended them to the Lord
in whom they had put their faith.
Then they traveled through Pisidia and reached Pamphylia.
After proclaiming the word at Perga they went down to Attalia.
From there they sailed to Antioch,
where they had been commended to the grace of God
for the work they had now accomplished.
And when they arrived, they called the Church together
and reported what God had done with them
and how he had opened the door of faith to the Gentiles.
Then they spent no little time with the disciples.

 

Responsorial Psalm: Ps 145:10-11, 12-13ab, 21

(see 12) Your friends make known, O Lord, the glorious splendor of your kingdom.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Let all your works give you thanks, O LORD,
and let your faithful ones bless you.
Let them discourse of the glory of your kingdom
and speak of your might.
R. Your friends make known, O Lord, the glorious splendor of your kingdom.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Making known to men your might
and the glorious splendor of your kingdom.
Your kingdom is a kingdom for all ages,
and your dominion endures through all generations.
R. Your friends make known, O Lord, the glorious splendor of your kingdom.
or:
R. Alleluia.
May my mouth speak the praise of the LORD,
and may all flesh bless his holy name forever and ever.
R. Your friends make known, O Lord, the glorious splendor of your kingdom.
or:
R. Alleluia.

 

Alleluia: Lk 24:46, 26

Alleluia, alleluia.
Christ had to suffer and to rise from the dead,
and so enter into his glory.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

 

Gospel: Jn 14:27-31a

Jesus said to his disciples:
“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.
You heard me tell you,
‘I am going away and I will come back to you.’
If you loved me,
you would rejoice that I am going to the Father;
for the Father is greater than I.
And now I have told you this before it happens,
so that when it happens you may believe.
I will no longer speak much with you,
for the ruler of the world is coming.
He has no power over me,
but the world must know that I love the Father
and that I do just as the Father has commanded me.”

 

Intercessions

–   That Christians who are persecuted may learn from Christ to pray for their persecutors and to forgive them, we pray:

–   That through trials and adversity, we may grow as human persons and as Christians, we pray:

–   That we may always retain our serenity and peace of heart in suffering and contradiction, because we know God is with us, we pray:

 

Prayer over the Gifts

Lord God, loyal Father,
your Son Jesus Christ,
retained his inner freedom and peace
at the moment of his passion and death,
because he was faithful to his mission of love.
Let him give us in this Eucharist
the same loyalty and love,
that the hardships of life
may not trouble our hearts
but keep us firmly anchored in you
who are our God forever.

 

Prayer after Communion

Lord our God, God of peace,
through your Son Jesus Christ,
you bring us peace, a kind of peace
which the world cannot give
and which no earthly power can take away.
Let us live in union with you,
that this peace of your Son
may be with us always
and that we may have the quiet strength
to put fresh hearts in our brothers and sisters,
through Jesus Christ, our Lord.

 

Blessing

“Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not let them be afraid, for peace I leave with you, my peace I give you.” This is the assurance Jesus gives us. We are in God’s hands. May Almighty God bless you, the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

 

Commentary

Jesus call on his disciples to greet and bless one another with ‘Peace’: “Thus you shall bless the Israelites: You shall say to them, ‘The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face to shine upon you, and be gracious to you; the Lord lift up his countenance upon you, and give you peace” (Numbers 6:22-26). This is a wonderful blessing, worth learning by heart, and using bravely on special occasions (instead of “Good luck!”).

When writing letters – emails – many of us have the habit of wishing peace as a salutation. Some use the term “Shalom” to greet people as they meet. The introductory rites of the liturgy always begin with the greeting: “Peace be with you”. This was the first message of the Risen Lord every time he appeared before his disciples.

Today’s gospel begins with this same promise: “Peace I leave with you. My Peace I give to you.” The peace that Jesus promises is not only the absence of conflicts; rather, it is a blessing, a gift that contains every other gift that we need. If you have the peace of the Lord, you have every other gift! It is the gift of life, the Resurrection, the beginning of the new creation. The peace of Jesus is universal peace. It is found in fraternity and in the gentleness of the encounter with our brothers and sisters.

The Peace of the Lord is an assurance:, “If God is with us, who will be against us?” It is the peace that gives us hope; peace that accompanies us always. However, in this time of pandemic, restlessness and fear have made their presence felt. God seems to be silent, He does not respond as we would like him to. This silence frightens us, makes us doubt; and peace seems to be under siege.

We are restless, nervous, worried… We would like quick and forceful answers. In these moments we have to remember that God is present in the darkes moments of our lives; that we must not lose faith. Our faith matures only when we hold on to the faith even when the Lord remains invisible; Our faith is purified through the hardest and most difficult events.

Jesus also said: “I am going away, but I will come back to you”. This is the promise of the Lord to accompany us. He does not leave us orphans. He will defend us from the Evil One, will comfort us in our struggles and difficulties.