Hardships peace and Love

The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today connect our hardships to peace and Love.

Journey in Peace

The reading from Acts concludes the First Mission of Paul and Barnabas with their response to physical persecution.

 * [14:23] They appointed presbyters: the communities are given their own religious leaders by the traveling missionaries. The structure in these churches is patterned on the model of the Jerusalem community (Acts 11:30; 15:2, 5, 22; 21:18).1

The Optional Memorials of St. Eugène de Mazenod and St. Christopher Magallane are witness to persecution by the world. In Psalm 145, God’s mighty acts show forth divine kingship (Ps 145:10–20). This is a major theme in the literature of early Judaism and in Christianity.

* [Psalm 145] A hymn in acrostic form; every verse begins with a successive letter of the Hebrew alphabet. Acrostic poems usually do not develop ideas but consist rather of loosely connected statements. The singer invites all to praise God (Ps 145:1–3, 21). The “works of God” make God present and invite human praise (Ps 145:4–7); they climax in a confession (Ps 145:8–9). God’s mighty acts show forth divine kingship (Ps 145:10–20), a major theme in the literature of early Judaism and in Christianity.2 

In the Gospel from John, Jesus declares the peace that will be with us through the Advocate.

* [14:27] Peace: the traditional Hebrew salutation šālôm; but Jesus’ “Shalom” is a gift of salvation, connoting the bounty of messianic blessing.3 

Carol Zuegner comments that peace requires continual action.

We can start small and bring peace to our corner of the world. We can pray for peace in every corner of the world. I pray for peace. I pray for God’s grace to help me find God in all things and to be a peacemaker in every way I can.4 

Don Schwager quotes Caesarius of Arles (470-542 AD), an early church bishop in Gaul who was noted for his godly wisdom and preaching of Scripture, who linked peace with the character of Christ.

"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. If anyone loves it, he will be an heir of God, while anyone who despises it rebels against Christ."When our Lord Jesus Christ was returning to the Father, he left his peace to his followers as their inherited good, teaching them and saying, 'My peace I give to you, my peace I leave with you.' Anyone who has received this peace should keep it, and one who has destroyed it should look for it, while anyone who has lost it should seek it. For if anyone is not found with it, he will be disinherited by the Father and deprived of his inheritance." (Sermon 174.1)5 

The Word Among Us Meditation on Acts 14:19-28 notes that Paul was a living illustration of what it meant to “undergo many hardships” for the sake of Christ (Acts 14:22). Let’s imagine what he might have said to them:

I stand before you today as a living reminder that believing in Jesus doesn’t shield you from hardship. Sometimes your faith will invite it! But try to follow my lead. After some people from Antioch and Iconium and Lystra tried to kill me, I didn’t give up. Instead, I returned to them later. It wasn’t easy, but I found the grace to forgive them, to overcome my fears, and to persevere.6 

Friar Jude Winkler cites the martyrdom of pin pricks described by St. Therese of Lisieux. Evil is the absence of Love according to Saint Augustine of Hippo. Friar Jude reminds that Jesus is being exalted on the Cross showing Love conquering evil.

Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, quotes Jesuit Richard Hauser (1937–2018), who focused much of his teaching and writing on the Holy Spirit, and saw that the indwelling Spirit leads to union and love.

This love has as its object God, as well as other people. Christian theological tradition has most often seen the Holy Spirit in the Trinity as the bond of love between the Father and the Son. . . . The primary effect of the Spirit acting in people . . . will be love, both for one another and for God. . . .
God’s Spirit joins our spirit; it does not replace it. The good acts we perform are truly our acts, not simply acts of the Holy Spirit in us. The deepest part of the self is the spiritual dimension. From the center flows all our freedom and love; at this level we remain free to choose to move or not to move with the Spirit. The Holy Spirit is indeed active in us at all times drawing us toward greater love and service of God and others, but the Spirit does not control our response. That flows from our freedom. [2]7 

There are hardships on our journey that we can reshape to good through Love and the indwelling Spirit.

References

1	(n.d.). Acts, chapter 14 - United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. Retrieved May 21, 2019, from http://www.usccb.org/bible/acts/14
2	(n.d.). Psalm 145 - United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. Retrieved May 21, 2019, from http://www.usccb.org/bible/psalms/145
3	(n.d.). John, chapter 14 - United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. Retrieved May 21, 2019, from http://www.usccb.org/bible/john/14
4	(n.d.). Creighton U Daily Reflections .... Retrieved May 21, 2019, from http://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/daily.html
5	(n.d.). Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved May 21, 2019, from https://dailyscripture.servantsoftheword.org/
6	(n.d.). 5th Week of Easter - Mass Readings and Catholic Daily Meditations .... Retrieved May 21, 2019, from https://wau.org/meditations/2019/05/21/
7	(2019, May 21). Loving Relationship — Center for Action and Contemplation. Retrieved May 21, 2019, from https://cac.org/loving-relationship-2019-05-21/