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The wars which continue to rage all over the world never seem to end. Although in some places some semblance of peace has been achieved, can we say that fighting has ended? Only three weeks ago my neighbor’s son was sent to Iraq with his Louisiana National Guard unit. Will peace reign and order be restored in that region? However, Peace goes far beyond the lack of warlike fighting.
St. Augustine said: "Peace is the tranquility of order." If one is to have peace in himself, his family, his community, or for that matter, the world, there must be order. Individuals war between themselves and among themselves, usually, because interiorly they are not at peace within themselves. Perhaps nations do the same thing.
Even though our Easter liturgy has ended, resurrection continues. We, as catholic Christians, are called to continue praying these days for the "peace" which Jesus rose to share. This "peace" is given so that we too might live lives of sharing ourselves as graces, as gifts to one another. As Christians, and as a community of believers, we pray especially during this Easter season that we receive such resurrection graces that we are peacefully in union with Jesus, and through him with him and in him at peace with our sisters and brothers.
In the Gospel of the Second Sunday of Easter, we hear that Jesus brings to His apostles this grace, his gift OF HIS RESURRECTION, when He greets them with Shalom, “Peace be with you.” Now, by this gospel, He also commissions all of us who are in communion with him TO BE BEARERS OF THIS GIFT OF PEACE, HIS MESSAGE OF PEACE. The word "community" literally means "with-gifts" and the order and unity in our spiritual lives, for which we pray, comes from our first having been gifted by God's creation of us and His redemption of us. We pray then to be born again through our baptism, given a new spirit, and go forth to extend His gift of grace to others. We pray to see ourselves in His light and protection and face the darkness of the unknown into which the church is sent.
So, what are the priorities that bring order and peace into our lives? First, is our faith in God – that we believe that He has given us life and happiness through His gift of His only Son, Jesus. We have each been given the gift of faith at our baptism. Thomas Alva Edison the inventor, is quoted as dogmatically saying, “I have never seen the slightest scientific proof of the religious theories of God, heaven and hell. . . .” Edison was a brilliant man, but intellect alone cannot produce true faith.
True faith comes from the heart. Another great and brilliant man, St. Thomas Aquinas, wrote: “The heart can go where the head has to leave off.”
We can learn from another saint, the Apostle Thomas, about our number one priority in creating order in our life…TRUE FAITH. There are but three informative references to Thomas in the entire New Testament. Each is in John’s Gospel. The Gospel of John is said to have been the last gospel written. Perhaps, John concluded that the neglect of Thomas in earlier accounts did a serious injustice to Thomas, himself, and to Catholics as well. From John’s gospel, one can conclude that Thomas was pessimistic, stubborn and had to, like so many of us today, “see” in order to believe.
Thomas had told his fellow disciples that he had to see before he could believe. And it was the Christ who taught him that believing is seeing, but seeing with spiritual faith-filled eyes. A strong faith sees the invisible, believes the incredible, and receives the impossible. He cried out “My Lord and my God.” While he was the last to believe in the risen Christ, he was the first of the apostles to make a bold proclamation to Christ’s divinity.
The Risen Jesus revealed the glory of His resurrection to His disciples gradually and over a period of time. Even after the disciples saw the empty tomb, and heard the reports of Jesus' appearance to the women, they were still weak in faith and fearful of being arrested by the Jewish authorities. When Jesus appeared to them He offered proofs of his resurrection by showing them the wounds of His passion, His pierced hands and side. He calmed their fears and brought them peace, the peace which reconciles sinners and makes one a friend of God. Jesus did something which only love and trust can do. He commissioned His weak and timid apostles to carry the gospel to the ends of the earth.
This sending out of the disciples is parallel to the sending out of Jesus by His Father. Jesus fulfilled His mission through His perfect love and perfect obedience to the will of His Father. He called His disciples, and He calls us, to do the same. Just as He gave His first disciples the gift of the Holy Spirit, so He breathes on us the same Holy Spirit who equips us with power, grace, and strength.
With Easter comes the renewal of our baptism and the renewal of our knowing who we are and what we are to do next. We have entered joyfully the community bearing our own individual God-given gifts. Besides entering the community centered around Jesus, we have entered into His Church and are commissioned to do as He did; to go about doing good works, signs, and the making of peace.
The joy of Easter is the joy of Thomas, the other doubters, and us, who no longer have to hide our faith in Jesus Christ. We are all, as a community with gifts of faith, hope, and love, sent out to bring order and peace to the world beginning with our selves, families, and our parish community.
To be effective witnesses, we must get our life in order. If we have not made a good confession during Lent, the Easter season offers us the golden opportunity to fulfill our Easter duties. We have to bow our heads and accept what Christ's Church teaches. The gospel of John states: “Then he breathed on them and said: 'Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive men's sins they are forgiven them; if you hold them bound they are held bound.'" After confession the priest may say: "Go in peace." Confession and the acceptance of the Church’s teachings are the way to peace.
This is the Peace Christ offered the apostles and us when He said: "Peace be with you." When Thomas recognized his Master, he believed and exclaimed that Jesus was truly Lord and truly God! Through the gift of faith we, too, proclaim that Jesus is our personal Lord and our God. He died and rose that we, too, might have new life in him. The Lord offers each of us new life in His Holy Spirit that we may know Him personally and walk in this new way of life through the power of His resurrection.
As we approach the altar to receive our Lord in the Eucharist, let us pray, "Lord Jesus Christ, through your victory over sin and death you have overcome all the powers of darkness. Help me to draw near to you and to trust in your life-giving word. Fill me with your Holy Spirit and strengthen my faith in your promises and my hope in the power of your resurrection."
MAY OUR FAITH AND TRUST IN JESUS BRING US CLOSER TO HIM THROUGH OUR TAKING OF HIS BODY AND BLOOD IN HOLY COMMUNION AND ALSO IN ADORATION OF HIS PRESENCE AT EXPOSTION AND BENEDICTION OF THE BLESSED SACRAMENT. REMEMBER, PEACE IS NOT JUST THE ABSENCE OF WAR, IT IS THE TRANQUILITY OF ORDER IN OUR LIVES WHICH ONLY JESUS CAN BRING.
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