A Penitent Blogger
Resonance
In today’s Gospel (John 14:27-31a), our Lord says those familiar words we hear at the Sign of Peace during Mass:
Peace I leave with you;
my peace I give to you.
Everyone yearns for peace, but our Lord emphasizes that he is giving HIS peace (“Not as the world gives do I give it to you”).
In a culture where selfishness is exalted and objective reality is denied, some people might object that since their idea of peace differs from what someone else’s idea might be, what Christ is imposing is his arbitrary idea of peace.
Indeed, unbelievers often portray God as a tyrannical figure or at least a figurehead for a tyrannical theocracy (or, more properly speaking, a “clerocrary” – earthly rule by religious elites): eliminating human freedom by the imposition of a capricious “code” or set of commandments.
Nothing could be farther from the truth, for the peace that Christ seeks to give is not the peace of totalitarianism: religious or humanistic.
The peace that Christ seeks to give is not a peace imposed by an omnipotent strongman, but rather the living gift from the Creator of all things.
The peace that Christ seeks to give is a loving welcome into the harmony that underlies the Universe and all that is in it.
The peace that Christ seeks to give is truly liberating and fully empowering: in which one finds (through grace) self-affirmation without selfishness, true happiness that overflows onto others instead of a false pleasure that exploits them, and inexhaustible freedom that soars within the infinite mysteries of God’s eternal love rather than an illusory autonomy that just buries itself deeper deeper into darkness.
The peace that Christ seeks to give is not just “pie-in-the-sky” even though its full realization will come when we stand before him. Nor is it simply an “inner peace” locked within a solipsistic fortress of solitude, even though we may carry it most fully within our hearts in the midst of a dark and turbulent world. Nor is it to be fully realized simply by our building up of the Kingdom on this earth, even though experiencing that peace in this world necessarily involves our being faithful to Christ’s truth and love by our clear words and strong deeds.
Peace I leave with you;
my peace I give to you.
Not as the world gives do I give it to you.
Do not let your hearts be troubled or afraid.
Dona nobis pacem tuam, Domine.
Peace I leave with you;
my peace I give to you.
Everyone yearns for peace, but our Lord emphasizes that he is giving HIS peace (“Not as the world gives do I give it to you”).
In a culture where selfishness is exalted and objective reality is denied, some people might object that since their idea of peace differs from what someone else’s idea might be, what Christ is imposing is his arbitrary idea of peace.
Indeed, unbelievers often portray God as a tyrannical figure or at least a figurehead for a tyrannical theocracy (or, more properly speaking, a “clerocrary” – earthly rule by religious elites): eliminating human freedom by the imposition of a capricious “code” or set of commandments.
Nothing could be farther from the truth, for the peace that Christ seeks to give is not the peace of totalitarianism: religious or humanistic.
The peace that Christ seeks to give is not a peace imposed by an omnipotent strongman, but rather the living gift from the Creator of all things.
The peace that Christ seeks to give is a loving welcome into the harmony that underlies the Universe and all that is in it.
The peace that Christ seeks to give is truly liberating and fully empowering: in which one finds (through grace) self-affirmation without selfishness, true happiness that overflows onto others instead of a false pleasure that exploits them, and inexhaustible freedom that soars within the infinite mysteries of God’s eternal love rather than an illusory autonomy that just buries itself deeper deeper into darkness.
The peace that Christ seeks to give is not just “pie-in-the-sky” even though its full realization will come when we stand before him. Nor is it simply an “inner peace” locked within a solipsistic fortress of solitude, even though we may carry it most fully within our hearts in the midst of a dark and turbulent world. Nor is it to be fully realized simply by our building up of the Kingdom on this earth, even though experiencing that peace in this world necessarily involves our being faithful to Christ’s truth and love by our clear words and strong deeds.
Peace I leave with you;
my peace I give to you.
Not as the world gives do I give it to you.
Do not let your hearts be troubled or afraid.
Dona nobis pacem tuam, Domine.
posted by Penitens | 12:26 PM
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