The Sixth Sunday of Easter (Year C)

PEACE I LEAVE WITH YOU; MY PEACE I GIVE TO YOU 

Acts 15: 1-2, 22-29; Revelation 21: 10-14, 22-23; John 14: 23-29 

PEACE . . . We hear a lot about it in the gospels, don’t we? The angels sang, “Glory to God in the highest and peace on earth to men of good will” at Jesus’ birth. His constant admonition during his public ministry was, “Fear not . . . Do not worry . . . Be not afraid . . . Go in peace your sins are forgiven . . . Blessed are the peacemakers.” When he sent his disciples out to preach, he told them: “When you enter a house say, ‘Peace be to this house.’” In his last discourse he told his disciples, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you.” And after he had risen from the dead his constant greeting was, “Peace be with you.” 

Peace . . . peace . . . peace. Are you at peace? I have to admit to you, I’m not. The news isn’t good lately: more school shootings, more terrorist attacks aimed at Catholic churches, the seal of the confessional being threatened in the state of California, New Jersey passing a “Right to Die” law, the ongoing battle between Democrats and Republicans, the scandals in the Church. All of that coupled with changes in our parish, changes in my own life. “Do not let your hearts be troubled or afraid,” Jesus said. But my heart IS troubled. Is yours? 

Today’s gospel passage from John is a portion of what we call the “Farewell Discourses.” In the upper room, in the midst of the Last Supper, Jesus bestows his farewell gift, “My peace I give to you,” a gift that is unlike, greater, more beautiful and more powerful than anything they had ever experienced. HIS peace – a peace that the world cannot give nor take away. HIS peace – enduring, pervasive. But what exactly is Jesus offering? What does Jesus mean by HIS peace? 

The word used to express Jesus’ ideal of peace is the Hebrew word “shalom.” Simply put, it means “to be whole, to be complete.” Complete health. Complete prosperity. Complete justice. Complete faithfulness in one’s relationship to God and to the people God has given us to love. Shalom also means to be at peace with oneself, complete well-being in all dimensions of life and living. When Jesus says, “Peace be with you,” it’s more than just a cliché. It’s a pronouncement of peace over a person’s whole being. 

The root understanding of shalom is that it is a blessing, a gift of God - total, full, complete, perfect, not dependent on anyone or anything but Him. The “peace that surpasses all understanding” is unlike the peace of the world. Shalom peace doesn’t come through treaties, nor by spending a week at the Jersey shore. It’s not escapism and isn’t dependent on conformity or compromise. It’s dependent on one thing alone – God himself. 

God’s peace is anchored upon a RELATIONSHIP because God himself IS peace. That’s why Jesus says in the Beatitudes, “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be CHILDREN OF GOD.” Because if you have peace within yourself to give, you’re just like pop . . . you’re a chip off the old block. Therefore, peace comes about by being in a personal, intimate, committed relationship with Christ, who the Father’s Holy Peace flowed like a river through his veins and heart. That’s why Jesus speaks of peace as ‘MY peace.” Peace is in his hands and only he can dispense it because of his own unique, intimate relationship to the Father. Hence, that is why he is the “Prince of Peace.” 

And so, how do we get this peace that Jesus promises? What do we need to do? What are the steps we need to take? You know, I spent hours on the internet trying to find the answer to that one. And I couldn’t find it. But I think I did find it somewhere else: in the experience of my own childhood. For in the midst of all the customary childhood fears - fear of the dark, fear of being lost, fear of strangers, fear of monsters and ghosts, looking back, I – like many of you – would have to admit that childhood was the time in my life when I was most at peace. Jesus said, “Unless you become like a child, you cannot enter the kingdom of God.” I wonder if his words also might apply to attaining peace. So, what can we learn from how a child conquers his fears and apply it to our own quest for peace? 

First, a child who is upset wants to be with his or her parents. No words need to be spoken. Presence is everything. The mere presence of a mom or dad reassures the child that he or she is safe, is loved, and that no matter what, everything is going to be okay. Sometimes children need not even say what’s wrong; their parents will instinctively know. And a look, a hug, a touch, a smile, a wink is all that is needed to bring a sense of calm, contentment and peace to the child. 

How about us? Do we come to Dad when our fears, our problems, our disappointments overwhelm us? Whether it be in the silence of our room, in the splendor of a walk around Horseshoe Lake, or in the solitude of an afternoon visit to church, do we enter into the presence of our Heavenly Father, into the presence of the one who is peace itself? Peace is an experience, a state of the mind, the heart and the soul. No words need to be spoken; he knows our need. Our presence in His presence is everything. 

Second, children want the light left on. Darkness scares them. They sense that what they can’t see can harm them - monsters under the bed, ghosts hiding in the closet, criminals sneaking in the window. Darkness is the playground of the imagination that fuels the fears of the young. But in the light there is peace; in the light there is truth. They see what is real and what was hidden by the darkness . . . that they have nothing to be afraid of. The light brings them courage. They feel what they can see is in their control. 

Jesus is the Light of the World. In his light there is truth and life. When we encounter Jesus in Sacred Scripture and immerse ourselves in his word, we flick on the light switch to what is true, beautiful, loving, and lifegiving. We dispel the darkness of our fears, of our anxieties, and of all that can cause us spiritual harm. Basking in the Light of the World gives peace, enlightenment, inspiration, consolation and motivation to our troubled minds, hearts and souls. 

Third, sometimes a meal can bring a sense of peace to a troubled heart. When I was growing up, there didn’t seem to be any problem that couldn’t be resolved, any hurt feelings that couldn’t be soothed, or any fear that couldn’t be conquered at the kitchen table with a sleeve of Oreos and a quart of milk. (Can’t you tell???)    

And it’s at this table, the altar, where we are fed a meal which brings peace. The early Church understood the mystery of the Eucharist as underlying the expression ‘peace’. “Peace’ very quickly became one of the names for the Eucharistic sacrament, for it is there that God comes to meet us, that He sets us free, takes us into His arms and gives His own self to us. The Eucharist is peace from the Lord. That’s why, soon after our Lord becomes present on our altar, we are able to extend a sign of peace to one another, to be a sign of the peace we will possess after partaking of the Eucharistic meal. 

Fourth, sometimes kids claim to have an invisible friend who serves as a companion in the face of trouble. We too have an invisible friend. He’s the one that Jesus promised to send us in today’s gospel – the Advocate, the Holy Spirit. We don’t talk much about them anymore, but do you remember what the fruits of the Holy Spirit are? Love, joy, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control and PEACE. But like any fruit, the fruit of peace starts from a seed and that seed contains everything for the plant to begin and produce more fruit. In order for a tree to yield fruit, it goes through a cycle where it must be planted in good soil, it must be nurtured, it must have a light source; it must be watered until it reaches maturity. The fruit of peace is initially a seed, then a seedling, then a sprout, until it’s a fruit ripe for picking! 

Finally, carrying around a security blanket, a pacifier or a stuffed toy brings a sense of peace to a child. To merely have it close, to be able to touch it, is often the first recourse that calms a crying child. The same thing can be said when we reach for the rosary beads in our pocket or the cross or miraculous medal around our neck. These things have no power in and of themselves. They are not an amulet, a good luck charm, or a talisman. But to simply hold on to them is often a great substitute for holding the hand of God and connecting ourselves to the one who is the source of peace. 

You know, at times it’s humbling to stand at this ambo and preach to you, for many times the message of my homily is not just for you; I need to be reminded of it too. And today is certainly one of those times. So today, whatever you and I are feeling, wherever we might be at with regard to the fears, disappointments, troubles and worries that we face, let us remember that what Jesus wished for his disciples, what Jesus offered them, is what he desires and offers us - His peace. It is his gift to us. Let us not accept any cheap and easy alternatives that the world might offer. Let us seek it, find it, unwrap it and use it so that ultimately it can be regifted for us to share. 

Peace be with you!

Feast of St. Joseph the Worker

GO TO JOSEPH 

A Reflection on the Feast of St. Joseph the Worker 

Do you believe in coincidence? I don’t. I believe that coincidence is when God performs a miracle and chooses to remain anonymous. Others call coincidences “God-instances” or “God Winks.” This became clear to me, perhaps for the first time, in October of 1983. 

In August of 1982 I was let go from Xerox Corporation, where I was employed for three years, when the division I worked for downsized. Like most people when they are laid off, I was angry but resolved. “I’ll show them,” I thought. “In a matter of weeks I’ll have a better job, with a better company, for a better salary!” It didn’t quite work out that way. And the weeks turned into months, and the months turned into over a year. 

It was during that time that I developed a strong devotion to St. Joseph. Throughout my life, I had always been drawn to St. Joseph. I even felt sorry for him. To me, for such an important person in the life of Jesus and Mary, he was the forgotten saint. And although I had always admired St. Joseph, I never felt inspired to pray to him. 

That changed as I endured the long months of unemployment. As today’s feast indicates, St. Joseph is the patron saint of workers, so what better saint to intercede, to plead my case, to God on my behalf. “Please, St. Joseph, PLEASE help my find a job. But more than a job, help me find a career . . . something that I would be good at . . . something which would allow me to use whatever talents God might have given me for his glory and in the service of his people.” 

Every day, for literally hours on end, I prayed through the intercession of St. Joseph. Finally, after fourteen months, after sending out hundreds of resumes and receiving back only polite responses that “my resume would be kept on file,” (if even that) I decided I needed something . . . anything, to alleviate my boredom and depression. One of my neighbors was a teacher at St. Mary’s School in Wharton, NJ and I inquired of her if her school ever needed substitute teachers. She told me no, but she would but she would mention me to her principal. 

A few days later, around noon, I got a call. It was my neighbor asking me if I was still interested in substituting. I responded, “YES! Is something available in your school?” She replied no, but that a friend of her principal, a member of the same religious order of sisters, was principal in another school and was in need of a long-term substitute for the seventh-grade. She apologized that she didn’t know the name of the school, but the name of the principal was Sister Mary Ripp and gave me her phone number. 

Immediately . . . nervously . . . hopefully . . . anticipatingly . . . I called the number. A quick prayer to St. Joseph . . . One ring . . . Two rings . . . Three rings . . . Finally, a cheerful voice answered . . . “Hello, ST. JOSEPH’S. May I help you?”

Coincidence? Maybe. But not to me. St. Joseph had heard my prayer! . . . He had interceded for me! . . . He was calling me to himself! . . . My prayer was being answered! 

Thus began my career as a Catholic educator.

GO TO JOSEPH! St. Joseph as been my “go to guy” ever since. He has, at times, demonstrated his love and presence in my life in dramatic and miraculous ways. And so, on this Feast of St. Joseph the Worker, I sing of Joseph! I sing songs of praise, of admiration, of love, of thanksgiving to him, the silent one, who spoke not a word in Scripture, but speaks volumes through his example, to him who proves “actions speak louder than words.”

Do you have a motto for your life? Here’s mine:

ALL FOR JESUS;

ALL THROUGH MARY;

ALL IN IMITATION OF JOSEPH!

This shall be my motto in life and in death.