Hope all’s well.
Who doesn’t want peace?
We all want peace.
We want peace in our world.
We want peace in our lives.
We want peace in our families.
We want peace in our hearts.
Christ promises that which we all desperately crave for and that is peace.
Peace is Jesus’ gift to us.
And as he tells us it’s a peace the world cannot give.
True peace - it doesn’t come from a lack of problems, or difficulties. It doesn’t come from an absence of struggle or suffering. That wouldn’t be real life.
True peace comes from knowing that we are safe in the loving embrace of God.
True peace comes from firmly believing in Christ’s promise, ‘I am with you’.
Christ’s promise of peace is something we hear of at every Mass - ‘Peace I leave you, my peace I give you’.
Just before we receive Holy Communion we hear these words.
Jesus speaks these words about peace, but it’s not just words which he gives us. It’s more than words. He gives us himself.
He gives us himself in Holy Communion as a means to find peace.
These words of Jesus’ gift of peace to us, his promise of peace in the Mass remind us that there is very much a connection between peace, true peace and the Eucharist.
If we make every effort to be true to the person Jesus in our lives, ie be the best follower, the best disciple we can be. If we are true to Christ truly present in the Eucharist, if we do our best to be Christ-like among those with whom we live and work, then we will have in our hearts a peace the world cannot give - this is God’s gift to us.
Peace be with you.
Remember, shine a light tonight, a candle or your phone torch from your window at 8.30pm for International Nurses Day, the 200th anniversary of the birth of Florence Nightingale, the Lady with the Lamp, to recognise and show appreciation for their heroic efforts to tackle coronavirus.
Some parish news - in preparation and in advance of guidance expected at some stage from the Bishops of Scotland regarding going forward, a parish group has been formed to do some scenario planning on the options for opening the church, when circumstances permit. The group will have their first socially distanced meeting this Thursday evening in the upper hall.
Hope you have a good day.
Take care
Fr Mackle