Tuesday, May17, 2022

 Tuesday of the Fifth Week of Easter

(Acts 14:19-28; John 14:27-31a)

Paul rises from the ground where he was left half-dead.  It was not the first time that he had been abused for preaching the gospel.   But he refuses to be discouraged.  He will proclaim the Lord in other places.  Today’s gospel supplies his motive.

Jesus tells his disciples that he gives them peace.  His presence is assurance.  The disciples can draw from his strength, his equanimity, and his concern. But the peace that he has in mind is reserved for the night of his resurrection.  There his return from a violent death validates all that he has said about eternal life.  The disciples and eventually Paul do not have to cower before anyone when they stand with him.  They too will rise from the dead.

We may wonder if we stand with Jesus.  We may go to church and never lie or steal.  Yet we are not sure if our good conduct is not just show.  Other creepy thoughts like the reality of eternal life may enter our minds.  At these moments we must rise from the dust like Paul.  We should dismiss our doubts and give thanks for all the love and goodness we have known.  Then we too can tell others about the Lord.

Tuesday, May 12, 2020

Tuesday of the Fifth Week of Easter

(Acts 14:19-28; John 14:27-31a)

It is no secret that anxiety is on the rise.  People of all ages worry increasingly about future problems.  Children wonder if global warming will make the world uninhabitable.  Teens worry about being accepted to the college of their choice.  Adults question if their jobs will be exported to other countries.  Certainly Covid-19 is exacerbating this very troubled condition.  Jesus’ words in today’s gospel are meant to relieve these fears. 

He promises his disciples peace but not the variety the world offers.  The world tranquilizes anxiety with drugs, sex, and other forms of excitement.  Jesus, on the other hand, brings peace by accompanying those who fear.  Paul in today’s first reading serves as an example.  He can get up after being nearly murdered because Jesus is with him.

Jesus comes to us especially in the sacraments.  They are his “presence in absence.”  When a priest anoints us, it is Jesus who strengthens us to bear with the illness.  Similarly, when we receive Holy Communion, it is Jesus who nourishes our souls.  With Jesus, who endured the cross and conquered death, at our side nothing can do us lasting harm.

Tuesday of the Fifth Week of Easter

(Acts 14:19-28; John 14:27-31a)

We think of peace as the cessation of hostility, but Scriptures relate a richer meaning. Shalom, the Hebrew word for peace, means fullness or perfection. In the Old Testament Israel may have shalom even when it is at war since the word has less to do with human conflict than with right order in creation. When Israel follows the Law which God has established, the nation is at peace. This is the same blessing that Jesus bequeaths his disciples in the gospel today. Following him the disciples are reconciled with God.

Realizing that being stoned by jealous crowds imitates Jesus’ own persecution, Paul too is at peace. There is no hint of inner conflict as he picks himself up from the ordeal and proceeds on his missionary way. His peace gains depth as he returns to Lystra with Barnabas to shore up the disciples they left behind. And it reaches a climax when the two return to Antioch to celebrate God’s goodness with the church there.

We too find peace by remaining close to God in the midst of our activity. To use everyday images, God is our “ace in the hole,” our “fireman” in the ninth inning, the “one we can count on.” Keeping close to Him by prayer and adherence to His commandments, we have nothing to fear.