TODAY'S GOSPEL REFLECTION: "God's Peaceful Embrace"

TODAY'S GOSPEL REFLECTION: "God's Peaceful Embrace"

May 09, 2023. Tuesday of Fifth Week of Easter

Gospel

Jn 14:27-31a

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.

Do not let your hearts be troubled or afraid.

You heard me tell you,

'I am going away and I will come back to you.'

If you loved me,

you would rejoice that I am going to the Father;

for the Father is greater than I.

And now I have told you this before it happens,

so that when it happens you may believe.

I will no longer speak much with you,

for the ruler of the world is coming.

He has no power over me,

but the world must know that I love the Father

and that I do just as the Father has commanded me."

Reflection

Let us seek the peaceful embrace of the Lord. Blessed Tuesday of Fifth Week of Easter. We are all called to serve God in each unique way He called us. However, most often, it's hard to serve when we experience discomfort. It becomes hard for us to appreciate the beauty of our faith and the welcoming spirit of God when our hearts are heavy and we feel spiritual discomfort. This experience is not new to the apostles. Before the Acts of the Apostles, they themselves when to Christ and allowed themselves to embrace His peacefulness. The apostles were taught how to abandon their fears, their doubts, their sinful past, and their distrust of God. This needs to happen because our woundedness often hinders us to have the confidence in God that we need in order to serve better. Another example is when Mary experienced extreme discomfort knowing that her Son is going through a slow death, yet she was able to keep her peace and stillness. This did not happen without great faith in God. Only God was able to give her the peace that the world could not offer. Others might question God, as to why the more they get closer to God, the more the sufferings are intensified. Let us remember that these things happened to God's faithful because we must have faith tested by time. Let us remember that peace is not the absence of war, quarrels, or adversities. There will still be war but peace can only be found when we allow God to dwell in our hearts. Let us allow God to embrace us with His peace despite not understanding why things are happening to us. Only God can give us genuine peace but first, we must abandon our discomfort to Him.

May God shed light so that we may figure out each of the discomforts hindering us from serving Him. Let us ask for the guidance of the Holy Spirit to lead us to the genuine peace of Christ.

In the Name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen+

Reflections by: T.K.R.S

Go to USCCB website for the full readings.