Today is the Sixth Sunday of Easter; our celebration of this holy season is near its end. Next Sunday we celebrate the Feast of the Ascension of the Lord. And in two weeks, on June 8, we celebrate the glorious Feast of Pentecost. In today's gospel, John 14: 23 - 29, Jesus is preparing the disciples for his departure. He promises that God the Father will send them an Advocate to be with them always, "the Spirit of truth, which the world cannot accept, because it neither sees nor knows it" (John 14:17). He also promises them the gift of Peace.
This peace
that Jesus offers the disciples and us is not worldly peace, it is a gift from
God that "surpasses all understanding" (Phil. 4:7). The peace that Jesus offers us is peace of
heart; a peace that helps us to overcome our very human fears and
anxieties. We receive God’s gift of
peace when we keep God’s word (John 14: 23).
In his Letter to the Colossians St. Paul gives us clear instructions on
how we can attain God’s peace, “Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and
beloved, heartfelt compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience,
bearing with one another and forgiving one another, if one has a grievance
against another; as the Lord has forgiven you, so must you also do. And over
all these put-on love, that is, the bond of perfection” (Col. 3:12-14). And finally, we must “Let the word of Christ
dwell in [us] richly,” through prayer, thanksgiving and “gratitude in [our]
hearts to God” (Col. 3:16).
During the
next two weeks leading up to Pentecost, all of us should pray that the Holy
Spirit, our Advocate who is with us always, will teach each of us what we need
to know and continually remind us of everything Jesus said. Then we all can share God’s gift of peace, a
peace the world cannot give.
