30/16 My Monologues & Musings : my Peace I give you.. (Jn 14:27)
“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.”
Dear Jesus,
I remember reading this verse as a teenager and a minor seminarian. I was very consoled and was very confident of having a very peace filled seminary and religous life and later on as a priest
I thought to myself:
i will have no big problems.
I thought to myself:
The stay with my congrgation and syudies in the semiary would be easy.
I thought to myself:
There would be no conflicts and no sufferings.
Even after forty plus years of priesthood
I am often tempted to wish so and expect that there shouldn't be any problems in my life as Jesus has gifted his Peace!
Dear Jesus,
In fact, your disciples had to face lots of problems even after receiving your Peace before your Death and after your Resurrection, Hadn't they?
So your Peace which you had gifted to your disciples before your Death and after your Resurrection:
Does not mean absence of problems,
Does not mean absence of setbacks,
Does not mean absence of opposition, Does not mean absence of persecutions.
Dear Jesus,
Your gift of Peace especially after the Resurrection:
It means the absence of fear in their lives. it means the absence of crippling worries. It means the absence of undue anxieties.
It means the experience of enduring faith.
It means the courage to face any problems.
It means joyful hope to live with problems
which defies any solutions, Right, Lord?
Dear Jesus,
Though your disciples were in neck deep troubles, conflicts, confrontations, and persecutions:
They did not give up but grew in faith.
They did not betray you but proclaimed!
They did not abandon you but defended!
They didn't scatter away but stuck together!
Dear Jesus,
Your Peace gave them the inner strength and firm faith to face all their woes in their everyday lives!
This is what I need and need it everyday.
I need your Peace to face my struggles.
Many of my fellow humans too need it.
Continue to gift us with your Peace!
Dear Jesus,
When you were born the angels joyfully announced ‘Peace on Earth.’
And on the eve of your torturous death and after your Resurrection you gifted Peace to your disciples, Didn't You?
Dear Jesus,
I wish to,
I want to,
I will to,
Have the everyday experience of
Your Gift of Peace,
The Peace the angels announced and
The Peace you gave ad your parting Gift!
Oh, Jesus, My Lord and My God,
I thank You,
I thank the Father,
I thank the Spirit,
For Your Unsolicited gift of life for me!
For Your Uncountable blessings for me!
For Your Unlimited Patience with me!
For Your Untold Forgiveness for me!
For Your Unflinching faith in me!
For Your Unfailing Hope in me!
For Your Unconditional Love of me!
Amen
JoAchen
Saturday, 30th January, 2016
These Reflections are neither pure scientific exegesis nor are they any highly theological explanations. They are a part of my journaling of the Prodigal Priest in me as I struggle to return to the Home of our Heavenly Father. As I keep holding you in my prayers and I request you to include me in yours. Thank you!
No comments:
Post a Comment