6th Sunday of Easter
Peace, I leave with you, my peace I give to you. Do not let your hearts be troubled…
Christ speaks these words to each of us today. They are also spoken to immigrants threatened with deportation, to victims of the wars in Gaza and Ukraine, to victims of school shootings and their grieving families, to our divided nation, and to our church struggling to bring the message of Christ into our world.
Jesus clearly states that his peace is different from the peace the world gives. Our expectation of worldly peace is that struggles will end, conflicts will be resolved, and worries erased. His peace is a deeper interior peace that enables us to not only experience his love and presence but also moves us to confront the causes of division.
In the reading from Acts today, we are presented with a serious conflict within the early Church. With faith in the message of Jesus, trust in the promised Spirit, and dialogue with one another, the Council of Jerusalem was able to listen and respond to the needs of the community.
Among the issues we face today is the challenge of how to be Church in our complex world. Like the early Church, we are being asked to be open to listening to one another, seeking compromise where needed, and trusting that the Advocate Jesus promised is guiding us along the way.
We are not yet the shining example of unity and light expressed in Revelation today. Hopefully, the peace of Christ we offer to one another in each Eucharist is that deep, lasting peace that will move us closer to the new Jerusalem.
Where in my life is the peace of Christ most needed? Where in my community or world am I called to bring the peace that the world cannot give?
Let us pray:
Risen Christ, we pray that you send the Spirit into our hearts, guiding us to the peace you have promised. As that peace fills our hearts, may we bring compassion and care to the people and situations in our lives that are most in need of peace. Amen.
