Know Jesus, Know Peace, No Jesus, No Peace!

Deacon Kevin Gingras

April 18, 2121, Third Sunday of Easter

https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/041821.cfm

 

Peace be with you!

He stood in their midst and said to them, “Peace be with you.”

Jesus only used this greeting after his Resurrection, not before it.  We heard Jesus say, “peace be with you” twice in last week's Gospel.  Again we hear it today.  Why?  They NEEDED peace at that moment!  His Apostles were kind of freaking out.  Jesus died and they were left without a teacher, a leader, they feared that same death would strike them!  They were like a fish out of water, I fish, I’ve seen them out of the water, it’s not pretty!

Today 

The two disciples recounted what had taken place on the way, and how Jesus was made known to them 

in the breaking of bread.

Suddenly, there is Jesus standing in their midst.  They were sure it was a ghost.  They still didn’t understand the resurrection.  “Peace be with you,” he says.  He tries to calm them down, showing He is a physical man and not a ghost, even asking for food!  Ghosts don’t eat food!

What he does next is amazing.  He opens their minds to understand the Scriptures so they will understand all that was written from Moses to the prophets and the Psalms - to understand that these things Jesus came to fulfill.

I wish it was that easy for us!  We could just hang out with Jesus and our minds would be opened to the Scriptures.  It’s not so easy but it is doable!  It’s been very hard for me to have that faith kick in where logic can’t explain what we will read in the Bible.  That’s where the Holy Spirit comes in, we need to ask for the gifts of wisdom and understanding.  Trust me, it works.  I’m a computer programmer by trade and have been for over 30 years.  Logic is my business and I have trained my mind to be logical so when I try to understand certain things in the Scriptures, Moses and the Jews walking dry through the Red Sea, manna in the desert, the lifting of the brazen serpent to heal those bitten by the seraph serpents, none of it makes logical sense.  

When we see Sacred Scripture as a whole, what Jesus was doing with his followers in the Gospel, opening their minds to the Scriptures, giving them the whole Scripture picture. We can see how walking through the Red sea is a precursor to Baptism.  It becomes obvious that manna is a foreshadowing of the Eucharist.  How Moses lifted the serpent to save those who were dying is like Jesus being lifted on the cross to save us.  See, totally logical!

I hope we all read our Bibles at home.  Before reading Scripture do you ask the Holy Spirit for guidance?  If you get tripped up on understanding a reading do you ask for help?  Ask a priest, a deacon, or a friend that you know is well versed in scripture.  If you decide to ask Google, do so with caution, there are a lot of things out there and some of them won’t be in line with the Catholic Church's teachings.  

Once you start to get a grasp on Scripture you will find there is peace in the Scriptures, look for some quiet time to find that peace in your Bible at home.

I guess what I’m trying to say is, “know Jesus, know peace, no Jesus, no peace”.  This won't translate well in my spoken homily but it's pretty clear here!  The bottom line is we have to know who Jesus is to receive the peace that he has to give to us.

Every time we celebrate Mass, we hear the priest say:

Lord Jesus Christ, you said to your apostles: I leave you peace, my peace I give you.

He didn't give this peace before his Resurrection, but afterward, he does give it, and he gives it because we need it.

Christ's peace is the antidote to most problems of our modern, secular society: stress, depression, and anxiety, and even this pandemic. We have all been affected by these things in some way. 

As we get to know the Lord more through Scripture, through Adoration, and through prayer He will give us peace of mind, peace of heart, and peace of soul.

Today’s Psalm is a Psalm of David and he put it well when he said: 

As soon as I lie down, I fall peacefully asleep, for you alone, O LORD, bring security to my dwelling.

Remember, even David was granted this peace as he came to know the Lord more and more and repented for what he had done.

Saint Jerome gives us a great three-thousand foot summary of this as he said:

Be at peace with your own soul, then heaven and earth will be at peace with you.