Word to the Wise
Tuesday, April 26, 2016 - 5th Week of Easter - Tues
[Acts 14:19-28 and John 14:27-31a]TUESDAY, APRIL 26, 2016. TUESDAY IN THE FIFTH WEEK OF EASTER [Acts 14:19-28 and John 14:27-31a] "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] Jesus' words of peace should be familiar to us. We hear them just before the Sign of Peace at Mass. Some folks don't particularly care for this gesture, for various reasons. Yet it is important. Jesus speaks these words shortly after washing the feet of the disciples. There he said "I have given you and example that you should also do." Th exchange of a "sign of peace" at least puts some skin on our acknowledgment that we are called to serve one another. Jesus also tells us that the peace he gives is not the kind given by the "world." It does not mean, necessarily, the absence of conflict. He does tell us not to be afraid. It is his presence that gives peace even when we are faced with difficult hardships and challenges. Jesus' peace is what is sustaining Christians endangered by the conflicts in Syria and Iraq. It sustains those suffering in Ecuador and Japan from the earthquake disasters. It sustains all who are sick and suffering. It is something we can give to others on his behalf. I hope we can remember that the next time we hear at Mass, "Letus offer one another a sign of peace." AMEN