Shalom! Peace With Love

𝐌𝐀𝐘 𝟐𝟓, 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟓: 𝐒𝐈𝐗𝐓𝐇 𝐒𝐔𝐍𝐃𝐀𝐘 𝐎𝐅 𝐄𝐀𝐒𝐓𝐄𝐑

𝐅𝐢𝐫𝐬𝐭 𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠: 𝐀𝐜 𝟏𝟓:𝟏-𝟐, 𝟐𝟐-𝟐𝟗

𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐩𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐏𝐬𝐚𝐥𝐦: 𝐏𝐬𝐚 𝟔𝟕: 𝟐-𝟑,𝟓,𝟔,𝟖 “𝐎 𝐆𝐨𝐝, 𝐥𝐞𝐭 𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐩𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐬𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮.”

𝐒𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐝 𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠: 𝐑𝐞𝐯 𝟐𝟏:𝟏𝟎-𝟏𝟒, 𝟐𝟐-𝟐𝟑

𝐆𝐎𝐒𝐏𝐄𝐋: 𝐉𝐍 𝟏𝟒:𝟐𝟑-𝟐𝟗

𝑲𝒆𝒚 𝑽𝒆𝒓𝒔𝒆: “𝑷𝒆𝒂𝒄𝒆 𝑰 𝒍𝒆𝒂𝒗𝒆 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝒚𝒐𝒖.” (𝑱𝒏 14:27) 

There are at least two things that we can derive from this Gospel passage today that we read in 𝐉𝐧 𝟏𝟒:𝟐𝟕-𝟑𝟏. Here we see Jesus in what appears to be a continuation of his last-minute instructions to his disciples before he leaves and giving them the assurance there was nothing to fear.

We also see what appears to be the premise to the roles the disciples will play when Jesus goes back to the Father and when they are finally commissioned to take over Jesus’ ministry (𝐌𝐚𝐭𝐭 𝟐𝟖:𝟏𝟖-𝟐𝟎).

But what I found to be the most striking of all that Jesus said was when he told his disciples he would leave with them the gift of peace for this is a kind of peace that was different from what the world gives, and which would ultimately serve as a balm for their fear and troubled hearts.

Indeed, the kind of peace that Jesus gives is the peace of God that transcends all understanding that will guard our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus (𝐏𝐡𝐢 𝟒:𝟕). And for us to be able to fully understand this Gospel passage today we must go back to the Gospel reading when Jesus said that the Holy Spirit whom the Father will send in His Name will teach the disciples all things and will remind them of everything he said to them (𝐉𝐧 𝟏𝟒:𝟐𝟔).

An understanding of what the Holy Spirit does is needed because the peace that Jesus gave to his disciples and which he is giving to us now can only find fruition when the Holy Spirit is at work in our lives.

As we often regard peace as the absence of conflict, the peace that Jesus gives is the confident assurance that in any disconcerting situation or circumstances we may find ourselves in, we need not fear nor allow our hearts to be troubled because of the presence of the Holy Spirit who helps sustain the peace that comes from Christ – the kind of peace that transcends all boundaries of fear and anxiety.

What we must also realize is that we – our bodies – have become the battlegrounds between the forces of good and evil. Sin, temptations, fear, uncertainty, anxiety, doubts, unbelief, indifference and, numerous other negative forces such as pride, envy, gluttony, sloth, lust, avarice and wrath are at war with the forces of good within us and this should explain why there are times when we find that our lives are not progressing the way it should or in the way that we planned it to be.

It is because we are not aware of the peace of God that moves into our hearts which has the power to restrain these negative forces and provide us with comfort and peace in times of trouble and conflict. But such peace is largely dependent on our acceptance of the gift. Just as he leaves us with his peace, such will be ineffective unless we receive it from hi

In the Scriptures, the word used for peace is shalom which is not the absence of conflict but which when used as a greeting means everything that leads to the highest good of the person. Contrast this with the kind of finite peace in the world today that offers us a way to escape rather than confront conflicts when it happens. What Jesus is offering is the kind of peace that can conquer all the trials and challenges that come.

What we also see in today’s Gospel reading is the highest form of obedience that Jesus wants us to emulate. As Jesus fully submitted to the Will of God the Father as well as to the physical limitations of his being human (𝐏𝐡𝐢 𝟐:𝟔-𝟖), he wants us to also yield to God’s Will because as God exalted Jesus as a result of his obedience (𝐏𝐡𝐢 𝟐:𝟗) then we too will appear with him in glory when Christ who is in us appears (𝐂𝐨𝐥 𝟑:𝟒).

To remain in Him (𝐉𝐧 𝟏𝟓:𝟓) is necessary because this puts us in a position when nothing can ever take us away from the peace and joy of Jesus Christ in which no sorrow or grief, no danger, no suffering can ever make us doubt the peace that conquers the world.

Towards the end of the Gospel reading, Jesus speaks of his destination and ultimate triumph over the powers of evil in the world. While the death of Jesus on the cross was viewed at that time it happened as a crushing defeat for Jesus and those who followed him, the Cross will eventually rise as a symbol of victory over the powers of death and sin.

This prince of the world will always be around to try and influence our lives, but Jesus assures us that this prince of darkness has no hold on Him (𝐯.𝟑𝟎) which means that those who will accept from Jesus his gift of peace and who has the Cross stamped in their hearts are assured of the peace and security in Christ Jesus.

This simply means that for us to enjoy this peace and security amidst the troubles the world brings, we must align our goals and objectives in life with the plan of God for us and this should be founded on listening and obeying the Word of God.

How then would you know that you are at peace with yourself, with others and with God? Easy. You can safely say that peace is in you when you are confident and comfortable with your actions and when the words that come out of your mouths edify God and no one else.

This is the hard part because people human as they tend to justify their actions as being godly in order to make a point. And some people think that going to church and going through all the practices of their faith give them the privilege to be called Christians and we see this in our everyday lives.

Perhaps there is truth to the claim that of all the denominations the Catholics are the most difficult to unite and this is clear in the current move of the Church for the lay faithful to come up with a united stand in the recent electoral process. Several organizations have sprouted all claiming to be vested with holiness espousing the same goal but are struggling in diversity on the means of how to deliver a message in the coming elections with some claiming ownership of the right to represent the church.

How sad indeed especially if one will go through the spite and diatribes with which some of these groups have resorted to utterly forgetting the greater need to look beyond the elections which is to evangelize the perverted political order now currently prevailing.

And when Jesus said: “𝑪𝒐𝒎𝒆 𝒏𝒐𝒘; 𝒍𝒆𝒕 𝒖𝒔 𝒍𝒆𝒂𝒗𝒆.” (𝒗.31) what He probably was thinking was for his disciples to go and preach everything they learned from him. This, however, will only be realized when the Holy Spirit came and breathe on them and gave them the power to proclaim the Gospel to the ends of the earth.

As with his disciples, it is only by the power of the Holy Spirit that we can bring Christ to others. (𝘌𝘥 𝘔𝘢𝘭𝘢𝘺 – 𝘔𝘢𝘺 25, 2025)