Peace and Joy in His Work

The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today are make known the glorious splendour of the Kingdom of God through action which is tied by Apostles and Evangelists to a tradition of God in relationship with people. The psalmist encourages those who speak of the Glory of God as they make known to their friends the might of God and praise the changes He has brought to their lives. The text from the Acts of the Apostles which traces the determination of Paul and Barnabas as they preach and suffer to bring the Word to the Greeks. Nancy Shirley reflects on the decisions which we make to persevere in service to others when we are tempted or even advised to take care of our own interests. She concludes in accord with Jesus final discourse in the Gospel of John that peace and joy are the marks of a life where we are in communion with the Will of the Father which Jesus proclaims in the passage today He will demonstrate as Love for the world through His decision to be glorified through His crucifixion. The deep connections in the final discourse of Jesus in the fourth Gospel to the Hebrew Scriptures in Isaiah, Deuteronomy and the Psalms is richly developed by Johannes Beutler, S.J. It is described as “A coming world of justice, peace and joy had been the announcement of the prophets of Israel at least since exilic times”. Our blessing comes from trust that this peace is ours in union with Christ through the Spirit today to act in accord with the will of the Father.