Reflection
The risen Jesus greeted those to whom he appeared with the words “Peace be with you.” They were fearful and not at peace, yet the experience of Jesus filled them with gratitude and joy. The peace which Jesus offers and to which we are called is the vision of a reconciled world, a world of order where there is justice, harmony, and love. This vision of peace is God’s gift to humanity. It is the hope that, in the midst of confusion, injustice and suffering, it is possible for us to be renewed as Jesus was. If we trust in this and work toward this, we can be at peace. As persons of peace, we can serve as agents of peace in the world. This is the witness to which we have been called.
Prayer
May I trust in the promise of peace.
Action
In this time of fear and lack of peace try to work at realizing that peace of heart. Try to radiate that peace to those around you.
Suggested Reading
And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Phillipians 4:7
On the evening of that first day of the week,
when the doors were locked, where the disciples were,
for fear of the Jews,
Jesus came and stood in their midst
and said to them, “Peace be with you.”
John 20:19-31
Let the risen Jesus enter your life—Trust him, be confident that he is close to you, he is with you, and he will give you the peace you are looking for and the strength to live as he would have you do.
Pope Francis
While you are proclaiming peace with your lips, be careful to have it even more fully in your heart.
Francis of Assisi
Every act of love is a work of peace no matter how small.
Mother Teresa
Do not lose your inner peace for anything whatsoever, even if your whole world seems upset.
Saint Francis de Sales
Peace and love are ever in us, being and working; but we be not always in peace and in love.
Julian of Norwich
Each one has to find his peace from within. And peace to be real must be unaffected by outside circumstances.
Mahatma Gandhi
Many a happiness in life, as many a disaster, can be due to chance, but the peace within us can never be governed by chance.
Maurice Maeterlinck