The Peace of Christ

Homily for Tuesday of the Fifth Week in Eastertide

At the Last Supper, in the midst of telling his apostles that he must leave them, Jesus offers a variation to the customary greeting used by Jewish people: “Shalom.” Instead of simply offering them peace, he says: “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give it to you.”

The peace which Jesus gives us completely transcends the peace of the world which can be superficial and misleading and compatible with injustice. The peace of Christ is, above all, reconciliation with God and reconciliation with one another. This peace is one of the fruits of the Holy Spirit; it is serenity of mind, tranquility of soul, simplicity of heart, a bond of love, the union of charity.” It is, in short, not a “feeling” but the divine assurance in the gift of salvation.

In today’s first reading from the Acts of the Apostles, some of which we heard just this past Sunday, we learn that Paul and Barnabas had experienced horrific violence. In their commentaries, some of the Church Fathers whose writings followed the apostolic age, the incident in which St. Paul survives being stoned is considered a miracle. This violence and other hardships that they experienced did not extinguish the peace they possessed. Indeed, they spread the peace of Christ to every community they visited.

If we let hardships lead us to anger or resentment or despair, then we are relying on the world to give us peace. However, it cannot. Only the peace of Christ can sustain us. With trust and reliance on God, no reversal, sorrow, loss or misfortune will take away that peace that only Christ can give. To remind us of this fact, immediately before we receive communion when we celebrate the Eucharist, we are greeted and asked to greet one another with the peace of Christ. In the Eucharist, we find the assurance that this peace can give us.