Tuesday of the Fifth Week of Easter(Click here for readings)
By FR ALFONSE NAZZARO
Jesus said to his disciples: "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give it to you."
Every morning I celebrate Mass to a large group of worshippers. I know what drives them to our house of prayer: Jesus Christ. They seek Jesus. They seek the Lord. They seek the peace that only the Lord can give.
Shalom. Peace...my peace I give to you. And what exactly is the Lord's peace? It must be something very special, for the world cannot give what we so desperately seek.
I see a lot of familiar faces, as I look out at my congregation, but I cannot say for sure I know what they hold deep in their hearts and minds.
What are they thinking about? What are they worried about? What are they going through? What are their fears?
So I offer general prayers for peace in the world, especially in the Middle East, and for all those who suffer from persecution, loneliness and illness.
The peace that only Christ can give can only mean one thing: I am with you till the end.
Only His peace can keep still my restless heart. Only His assurance can keep still my mind from going a million miles a minute.
A few days ago I spent some time with a man who has only three months to live. As a child, he attended Catholic school and was an altar boy. But as an adult, he distanced himself from God and the Church. Now, he has some regrets that haunt him and that do not allow him to sleep at night. What he fears most is not death, but whether or not he lived a good life. A good friend recommended he speak to a priest. I was asked to visit him.
I am with you till the end. Dying is a very lonely affair. When we tell our family and friends that we only have three months to live or one year to live, but all they can do is shake their heads in disbelief and say a few words like, "I'm so sorry to hear this." They can do nothing more.
There is a peace that only faith can give and only hope can inspire and only love can restore. This is the peace that only God can produce.
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