Saturday
December 4 Peace John 20:19-23
When it was evening on that day, the first day
of the week, and the doors of the house where the disciples had met were locked
for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with
you.” After he said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the
disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord. Jesus said to them again, “Peace be
with you. As the Father h as sent me, so I
send you.” When he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them,
“Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven
them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.”
****
May the words of my mouth and the
meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O Lord, my strength and my
Redeemer.
When I think on peace, I recall that
my grandfather, Jesse, was most steadfastly dedicated to peace among family and
community above all. Especially, I recall his devotion to Scripture and he
often quizzed my mother on it as a child. Generations of devotion have come and
gone, and it is my turn to keep the Peace of God in my prayer and meditation.
It is especially difficult in today’s stress and rush to “get things over with”
before they have barely presented themselves. Thanksgiving begins at Halloween;
Christmas begins at Thanksgiving; Valentine’s Day comes on the New Year. The
pressures are great. Yet, how must the disciples have worried about their
safety, faced with the antagonism toward their faith. Then comes Our Master,
the Shepherd of the Sheep, to call them back to recall the faith that assures
us all that He is with us, “even to the end of the world.” I am incredibly
comforted to remember that Christ is with us, surrounding us with His
everlasting love. See how Jesus commands us to spread this Peace and Grace in
our daily lives. This is true Christianity for me. I know He is there for
comfort, courage, and to uplift from our daily struggles. Forgiveness is paramount
in witnessing divine Peace.
Prayer: Holy Father, King and Comforter of the weary,
worried, and struggling, we thank Thee for Thy never-ceasing Peace and Love. We
are so grateful for the most precious gift of Your Son and we wait with the
greatest anticipation for the Epiphany of Your dear Son to be born anew in our
hearts. Amen
Franklyn Commisso
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