The WORD today reminds me how powerful God's
peace is.
According to Peter Pan, we can
fly when we think of happy thoughts. This is similar with Happy Gilmore – he
thinks of happy thoughts before making a tough shot. Their stories show us how
important and powerful peace is to them. And in real life, this is what God's
peace is like.
God's
peace is very powerful.
In the gospel, we see Jesus
appearing to his disciples while they gathered. It is inspiring to see that the
first words he said were “peace be with you.” He did not harbor anger, nor did
he get mad at his disciples for what they did – leaving him during the most
painful and difficult time of his life, for Peter to deny him three times, for
the others to not recognize him. There was no drama, no lecture – just peace
and love.
God’s love is greater than our
faults.
Instead of getting mad or
lecturing them on what wrong they did, Christ instead assured them that he
indeed is risen, fully alive and loving. Not only that, He opened their minds
to understand the scripture. Jesus prepared his disciples for the task at hand,
which is to proclaim him in all the earth. And because of his peace, we see
Peter and John in the first reading not only healing someone, but passing God's
peace to those who do not know Him yet.
God is also giving us today this
greeting of peace. It does not matter if we feel we did not prepare much for
lent. It does not matter if we feel we could have given more. What is important
to God is the present – where we are now and what we can still do for him. As
he gives us this peace, he also is giving us inspiration and preparing us as we
are called to proclaim him to others. Like he did to his apostles, he too is
giving us a chance to proclaim Him, to serve him, and to share him with others.
Jesus rising did not end the
persecutions. But even when powerful people were against the disciples, they
were faithful and continued to do God's work. They were able to do this because
of God's peace in them. Peace that does not look at the people around us, or
the situation surrounding us, but on God's love and power protecting and
guiding us.
Today, we are in a very challenging situation. We are in a crisis. However, no matter how the world may seem, we should always be positive. We should always have God’s peace. We should have his peace that no matter what situation we are in, God is in control and he knows what is happening. We just need to trust in Him.
Today, we are in a very challenging situation. We are in a crisis. However, no matter how the world may seem, we should always be positive. We should always have God’s peace. We should have his peace that no matter what situation we are in, God is in control and he knows what is happening. We just need to trust in Him.
How do I feel in
life right now? Are there things or mistakes that are bothering me? Am I at
peace with my life? Am I at peace with my decisions? Do I come to God for
peace? What is he telling me today?
May we receive the same peace the
apostles did, and use it to the fullest.
Father God,
Thank you for today. Thank you for
another day to live. Thank you for another chance to love and serve you. Thank
you for all the blessings you continue to give me and my loved ones. Thank you
for the opportunity to help others. Thank you for your peace. Thank you for
looking past my sins and imperfections, and loving me instead. Thank you for
forgiving me. thank you for always giving me another chance. Lord, I am sorry
for the many times I fail to share you to others. I am sorry for my sins. I ask
that as I experience your blessings and love, I be ready and willing to share
and proclaim you to others. Use me to the fullest, and may my actions, may my
life, glorify you. Continue to boess us and help us get through this. Amen.
Blessed Day!
In Christ,
-g-
Ps
See related reflections:
April 16,
2020
Easter
Thursday; St. Benedict Joseph Labre
FIRST
READING
As the crippled
man who had been cured clung to Peter and John, all the people hurried in
amazement toward them in the portico called “Solomon’s Portico.” When Peter saw
this, he addressed the people, “You children of Israel, why are you amazed at
this, and why do you look so intently at us as if we had made him walk by our
own power or piety? The God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob,
the God of our fathers, has glorified his servant Jesus whom you handed over
and denied in Pilate’s presence, when he had decided to release him. You denied
the Holy and Righteous One and asked that a murderer be released to you. The
author of life you put to death, but God raised him from the dead; of this we
are witnesses. And by faith in his name, this man, whom you see and know, his
name has made strong, and the faith that comes through it has given him this
perfect health, in the presence of all of you. Now I know, brothers and
sisters, that you acted out of ignorance, just as your leaders did; but God has
thus brought to fulfillment what he had announced beforehand through the mouth
of all the prophets, that his Christ would suffer. Repent, therefore, and be
converted, that your sins may be wiped away, and that the Lord may grant you
times of refreshment and send you the Christ already appointed for you, Jesus,
whom heaven must receive until the times of universal restoration of which God
spoke through the mouth of his holy prophets from of old.
For Moses said:
A prophet like me will the Lord, your God, raise up for you from among your own kin; to him you shall listen in all that he may say to you. Everyone who does not listen to that prophet will be cut off from the people.
“Moreover, all the prophets who spoke, from Samuel and those afterwards, also announced these days. You are the children of the prophets and of the covenant that God made with your ancestors when he said to Abraham, In your offspring all the families of the earth shall be blessed. For you first, God raised up his servant and sent him to bless you by turning each of you from your evil ways.”
For Moses said:
A prophet like me will the Lord, your God, raise up for you from among your own kin; to him you shall listen in all that he may say to you. Everyone who does not listen to that prophet will be cut off from the people.
“Moreover, all the prophets who spoke, from Samuel and those afterwards, also announced these days. You are the children of the prophets and of the covenant that God made with your ancestors when he said to Abraham, In your offspring all the families of the earth shall be blessed. For you first, God raised up his servant and sent him to bless you by turning each of you from your evil ways.”
RESPONSORIAL
PSALM
R. O Lord,
our God, how wonderful your name in all the earth! or R. Alleluia.
O LORD, our Lord, how glorious is your name over all the earth! What is man that you should be mindful of him, or the son of man that you should care for him?
R. O Lord, our God, how wonderful your name in all the earth! or R. Alleluia.
You have made him little less than the angels, and crowned him with glory and honor. You have given him rule over the works of your hands, putting all things under his feet.
R. O Lord, our God, how wonderful your name in all the earth! or R. Alleluia.
All sheep and oxen, yes, and the beasts of the field, The birds of the air, the fishes of the sea, and whatever swims the paths of the seas.
R. O Lord, our God, how wonderful your name in all the earth! or R. Alleluia.
O LORD, our Lord, how glorious is your name over all the earth! What is man that you should be mindful of him, or the son of man that you should care for him?
R. O Lord, our God, how wonderful your name in all the earth! or R. Alleluia.
You have made him little less than the angels, and crowned him with glory and honor. You have given him rule over the works of your hands, putting all things under his feet.
R. O Lord, our God, how wonderful your name in all the earth! or R. Alleluia.
All sheep and oxen, yes, and the beasts of the field, The birds of the air, the fishes of the sea, and whatever swims the paths of the seas.
R. O Lord, our God, how wonderful your name in all the earth! or R. Alleluia.
ALLELUIA
R. Alleluia,
alleluia.
This is the day the Lord has made; let us be glad and rejoice in it.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
This is the day the Lord has made; let us be glad and rejoice in it.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
GOSPEL
The disciples
of Jesus recounted what had taken place along the way, and how they had come to
recognize him in the breaking of bread.
While they were still speaking about this, he stood in their midst and said to them, “Peace be with you.” But they were startled and terrified and thought that they were seeing a ghost. Then he said to them, “Why are you troubled? And why do questions arise in your hearts? Look at my hands and my feet, that it is I myself. Touch me and see, because a ghost does not have flesh and bones as you can see I have.” And as he said this, he showed them his hands and his feet. While they were still incredulous for joy and were amazed, he asked them, “Have you anything here to eat?” They gave him a piece of baked fish; he took it and ate it in front of them.
He said to them, “These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you, that everything written about me in the law of Moses and in the prophets and psalms must be fulfilled.” Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures. And he said to them, “Thus it is written that the Christ would suffer and rise from the dead on the third day and that repentance, for the forgiveness of sins, would be preached in his name to all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things.”
While they were still speaking about this, he stood in their midst and said to them, “Peace be with you.” But they were startled and terrified and thought that they were seeing a ghost. Then he said to them, “Why are you troubled? And why do questions arise in your hearts? Look at my hands and my feet, that it is I myself. Touch me and see, because a ghost does not have flesh and bones as you can see I have.” And as he said this, he showed them his hands and his feet. While they were still incredulous for joy and were amazed, he asked them, “Have you anything here to eat?” They gave him a piece of baked fish; he took it and ate it in front of them.
He said to them, “These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you, that everything written about me in the law of Moses and in the prophets and psalms must be fulfilled.” Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures. And he said to them, “Thus it is written that the Christ would suffer and rise from the dead on the third day and that repentance, for the forgiveness of sins, would be preached in his name to all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things.”
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