Tag: Peace

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The Catechism in a Year – Day 301 – Peace

Peace is not simply an absence of war. Fr. Mike breaks down the Catechism’s teachings about peace as the “work of justice and the effect of charity.” We learn that to cultivate true peace, we must do more than avoid anger, hatred, and harm to our neighbor; we must actively work toward becoming agents of peace. Today’s readings are Catechism paragraphs 2302-2306.

Click on link: https://youtu.be/oo20tQVCPXY?si=0h86A2PxpHjrw9y3

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Minute Meditation – Train Your Soul for Peace

A beloved and treasured prayer for a century, the Peace Prayer has been ascribed to Saint Francis of Assisi though, in fact, it was probably written seven centuries after his death. In fourteen simple verses, it captures the essence of soul training. Soul training is our response to the gratuity of grace that never expires and is never exhausted. The initial training can be tedious and difficult since we are born selfish and self-centered. The centripetal force of the ego makes us not only cling to personality props that we lean on for our self-worth but also promotes fears, attachments, control issues, and a sense of entitlement that hinder our surrender to grace. As we allow grace to shape us into instruments of God, we are challenged to practice the kenotic selflessness of Jesus by living lives of selfless surrender, self-denying sacrifice, and solicitous service. This selflessness is also expressed in practical ways by sowing faith, hope, love, forgiveness, and joy while consoling, understanding, and enriching the lives of others. These practices activate the centrifugal force of the Spirit that invites us to a daily death of letting go and surrendering as we walk in the footsteps of the Lord and Divine Master. As this first death becomes second nature, we prepare ourselves for the second death that leads to the imperishable crown of eternal life.

—from the book Soul Training with the Peace Prayer of Saint Francis
by Albert Haase, OFM

//Franciscan Media//

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Minute Meditation – Hope Blossoms in Mercy

“So many people ask to be listened to and to be understood. The Gospel of mercy requires generous and joyful servants, people who love freely without expecting anything in return. ‘Peace be with you!’ (John 20:21) is the greeting of Jesus to his disciples; this same peace awaits men and women of our own day.… It is a peace that does not divide but unites; it is a peace that does not abandon us but makes us feel listened to and loved; it is a peace that persists even in pain and enables hope to blossom. This peace, as on the day of Easter, is born ever anew by the forgiveness of God which calms our anxious hearts.” —Pope Francis

The story of Thomas in the Upper Room is a clear example of Jesus meeting us in those wounded places in our lives and wordlessly offering us whatever we need to move beyond the hurt into a place of healing, trust, and peace. He doesn’t scold Thomas for needing proof; he doesn’t condemn him for a lack of faith. He holds out his hands and gives Thomas what he needs. We each have our own struggles with faith, with trust, with love, whether in our relationships with others, our connection to a church community, our responsibilities at home, at work, in school. As we place our needs before God’s loving mercy, we open ourselves to receive whatever gesture of peace he offers us. Mercy is the sign of God’s ongoing presence in the world. Few people have made this more clear and compelling than Pope Francis. And it’s not just about realizing that God is merciful to us. It’s realizing that we are now called, compelled, even commanded to be merciful to all those people we meet.

In his preaching on mercy, Pope Francis often emphasizes the importance of listening compassionately to people who are wounded, struggling, searching for God’s love. So often we want to rush in to fix other people’s lives. The next time you feel this urge, take a step back and first simply listen to and love the person before you. God’s peace passes all our human understanding. And often it lies beyond our limited human words.

— from the book The Hope of Lent: Daily Reflections from Pope Francis
by Diane M. Houdek

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A Prayer for the One Feeling Overwhelmed

“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give it to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” – John 14:27, NIV

Life is too short to be anxious and constantly bent out of shape. And even more, I’m convinced when I allow my life to become like that, that Jesus didn’t want it to be this way.

When Jesus was having one of several final conversations with His disciples before His death and resurrection, He said the words from our key verse. He wanted them to know He was leaving them, but He didn’t want them to live in a state of panic. He knew their life would be hard, but He didn’t want them to think that He had abandoned them. He acknowledged that they would miss His presence, but He wanted them to know that He would give them His presence in a new way, and with it, they would also have His peace (John 14:25-28).

I love that Jesus took the time to compare His peace to the false sense of peace that the world gives us. You see, the world says to have peace, you have to be on a luxurious vacation in Malibu. Or to have peace, you have to have complete financial security, a great job, and a 401k to boot. The world says that you’ll finally have peace when your life looks like someone else’s Instagram feed.

This world offers fake peace that leaves us chasing a moving target. Jesus said you will have peace when you have my Spirit because the fruit of the Spirit is peace ( Galatians 5:22-23). This isn’t peace that we can get from this world. This kind of peace only comes from a relationship with God.

This kind of peace isn’t rattled when our finances aren’t where we want them to be or worse, when we are in financial despair. Jesus’s peace is still there as we wait for daily bread, sometimes moment by moment. The peace that God gives helps us to celebrate others’ accomplishments and give thanks for what God has generously given us.

So when my heart is troubled and anxious, I have to ask myself, where are you looking for peace? When we find our peace in God, the Holy Spirit empowers us to live in a way that baffles the world. Onlookers don’t understand how we can be so peaceful while they frantically search for what can only be found in Christ. So today, when you are overwhelmed, instead of looking to the world for a reprieve, ask God for His peace.

Let’s pray:

Dear Lord,
Thank you for giving us the gift of a relationship with you through the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ. But God, you don’t stop there! You also ensure that we know you have not abandoned us by giving us the gift of your Holy Spirit. Lord, when we face difficulties, and we get overwhelmed, we have the assurance that you are with us because we have your Spirit living inside of us. And God, with that, you give us the unshakeable gift of peace.

Lord, I pray you would help us to remember where we find true rest and true peace. Lord, forgive us for chasing down peace from this world. Lord, as you know, it never lasts. More money does not lead to peace; it creates new problems. More security just leads to more frenzied attempts at managing our lives. And attempting to live someone else’s life robs us of all joy, Jesus. I pray you’d give us the strength to turn away from these false sources of peace. Help us turn to you, God.

You give us peace that the world cannot give and the world cannot take away. Jesus, help us believe and trust that every word you say is true. You are with us, you are for us, and you will give us peace so we don’t have to be troubled or afraid.
In Jesus’ name, amen.

By Ashley Moore