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 (Jn 14:27), Jesus tells us today. Good news, indeed!
Not peace as the world gives, he clarifies, as if we expect no wars, no disease, no arguments or no more suffering. If we stay attached to the world, with its pleasures and pains, then there can never truly be the peace of which we dream, but so often seem to forget. Attached to our own Self needs and personal expectations, the peace we can know is only as fleeting as the days, our emotions, this temporal life.
The Christ offers more. His peace is God's peace, abiding, eternal, full of grace and the power of forgiveness. His peace is the very core of his Love. If we follow his Way and listen to his Spirit, our hearts need never be troubled nor afraid. His peace is a gift freely given. Do we accept the gift? Or will we choose to shop until we can find something better?
On my way home through the park on my bike, i passed a mother with her baby seated in a basket on the handle bars (as they do in Amsterdam, even with helmets!). The baby's bright blue eyes watched me intently. Grumpy as usual in this rush hour bycyle traffic, lost in my Self, those eyes were so clear, so full of wonder. They knew no fear; that baby's heart knew no troubles. And I was gone. We shared a big smile. Baby waved and without hesitation I waved. Mama looked up to see at whom her child was waving. Me. We smiled too, that untroubled, fearless moment her baby let us both know. Ah, if only we could be like a child with his untroubled and fearless heart. Clinging to that moment is pointless, I knew, but still I let it wash over me, rinsing away my grumpiness and thanking God for saying 'Hello'.
Deo gratias.
Not peace as the world gives, he clarifies, as if we expect no wars, no disease, no arguments or no more suffering. If we stay attached to the world, with its pleasures and pains, then there can never truly be the peace of which we dream, but so often seem to forget. Attached to our own Self needs and personal expectations, the peace we can know is only as fleeting as the days, our emotions, this temporal life.
The Christ offers more. His peace is God's peace, abiding, eternal, full of grace and the power of forgiveness. His peace is the very core of his Love. If we follow his Way and listen to his Spirit, our hearts need never be troubled nor afraid. His peace is a gift freely given. Do we accept the gift? Or will we choose to shop until we can find something better?
On my way home through the park on my bike, i passed a mother with her baby seated in a basket on the handle bars (as they do in Amsterdam, even with helmets!). The baby's bright blue eyes watched me intently. Grumpy as usual in this rush hour bycyle traffic, lost in my Self, those eyes were so clear, so full of wonder. They knew no fear; that baby's heart knew no troubles. And I was gone. We shared a big smile. Baby waved and without hesitation I waved. Mama looked up to see at whom her child was waving. Me. We smiled too, that untroubled, fearless moment her baby let us both know. Ah, if only we could be like a child with his untroubled and fearless heart. Clinging to that moment is pointless, I knew, but still I let it wash over me, rinsing away my grumpiness and thanking God for saying 'Hello'.
Deo gratias.
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