Spiritual Gift of the Week
We pray to experience God’s love and peace. Our Lady, Queen of Peace pray for us.
Spiritual Instruction of the Week
Jesus said, “Peace I leave with you my peace I give to you.”
Intercede to Mary, the Queen of Peace, to receive from her Son, Jesus Christ,
the peace to conquer our fears and anxieties.
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Let us read and reflect upon the following important and inspiring instruction on “peace” written by Cindy Warner—We are grateful to Cindy for her studied insight.
There is a saying on a sign at Church on University Blvd: “Peace – Not the absence of worries but the presence of God.” Jesus grants peace as his gift to his disciples. The Word Study for peace in the Ignatius Study Bible says that peace is one of the great blessings that Jesus Christ has given to the world (Jn 14:27) as we heard in today’s Gospel. It is rooted in reconciliation with God, as in Rom. 5:1; Therefore, since we are justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. It is an inward peace found in Rom 15:13; May the God of hope fill you with all the joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope. Unless it is grounded in the peace of Christ, worldly peace can only be shallow and short lived.
In Sacramentum Caritatis, Pope Benedict XVI instructs, “By its nature the Eucharist is the sacrament of peace. At Mass this dimension of the Eucharistic mystery finds specific expression in the sign of peace. Certainly this sign has great value (cf. Jn 14:27). In our times, fraught with fear and conflict, this gesture has become particularly eloquent, as the Church has become increasingly conscious of her responsibility to pray insistently for the gift of peace and unity for herself and for the whole human family. Certainly there is an irrepressible desire for peace present in every heart.”
The word “Peace” is said throughout the Mass. One of the Greetings at Mass is “Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Gloria – peace is in first line.
After the Our Father – Deliver us, Lord, we pray, from every evil, graciously grant peace in our days, that, by the help of your mercy, we may be always free from sin and safe from all distress, as we await the blessed hope and the coming of our Savior, Jesus Christ. At the Sign of Peace – At every Mass the words in today’s Gospel are repeated; Lord Jesus Christ, who said to your Apostles: Peace I leave you, my peace I give you. The priest continues saying, look not on our sins, but on the faith of your Church, and graciously grant her peace and unity in accordance with your will. Who live and reign for ever and ever. Amen. The peace of the Lord be with you always. We then offer each other the sign of peace. By saying the words “Peace be with you.”, we acknowledge that we need to forgive and be forgiven to approach the altar. At the Lamb of God we ask for Jesus to take away our sins and grant us mercy twice. By being open and accepting of God’s mercy we obtain peace. Final at the Dismissal- we are instructed to “Go in peace.”
Caesarius of Arles (470-542 AD), an early church bishop in Gaul who was noted for his godly wisdom and preaching of Scripture, linked peace with the character of Christ and the Christlike virtues which help us to grow as disciples of Jesus Christ. Caesarius describes some of the key character traits (virtues) which form us into true people of peace:
“Peace, indeed, is serenity of mind, tranquility of soul, simplicity of heart, the bond of love, the fellowship of charity. It removes hatred, settles wars, restrains wrath, tramples on pride, loves the humble, pacifies the discordant and makes enemies agree. For it is pleasing to everyone. It does not seek what belongs to another or consider anything as its own. It teaches people to love because it does not know how to get angry, or to extol itself or become inflated with pride. It is meek and humble to everyone, possessing rest and tranquility within itself. When the peace of Christ is exercised by a Christian, it is brought to perfection by Christ.
Who is the best example of this? Mary, the Queen of Peace Pope Francis on New Year’s Day, 2015 said to ‘Follow Mary on the path to peace.’ The following are excerpts from his Angelus address of January 4, 2015: “Every man and every people hungers and thirsts for peace; building peace is therefore an urgent necessity!
“Peace is not simply an absence of war, but a general condition in which the human person is in harmony with him/herself, in harmony with nature and in harmony with others. This is peace.”
“There is no future without proposals and plans for peace! There is no future without peace!”
“Peace is proclaimed as a special gift of God, in the birth of the Redeemer: “on earth peace among men whom God loves, Lk 2:14. This gift needs to be ceaselessly implored in prayer. Let us recall, here in the Square that sign: Prayer is at the root of peace. This gift must be implored and must be welcomed with commitment every day in whatever situation you are in. “
Pope Francis noted that while everyone wants peace, they continue to make war, even on a small scale. “How many families, how many communities – even parishes – are at war,” he said. He ended with this prayer: “Let us now invoke Mary, Queen of Peace. During her life on earth, she met many difficulties, related to the daily toils of life. But she never lost peace of heart, the fruit of faithful abandonment to God’s mercy. Let us ask Mary, our gentle Mother, to show the entire world the sure way of love and peace.”
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“Peace is the fruit of a culture of solidarity, mercy and compassion,” Pope Francis wrote in “Overcome Indifference and Win Peace.” Let us pray that we may heed his words.
Veni, Spirito Santo, la misericordia di Dio ci salva—
Come Holy Spirit, it is by God’s mercy that we are saved,
Deb
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