Third Sunday of Easter (2024)

Introduction:

We begin our Eucharist with a greeting: "The Lord be with you."

It is a greeting that reminds us that Christ is in our midst.

The same one who came to the apostles and offered them His Peace stands here and now and offers it to us as well.

Let's open our hearts to that gift and with sincere hearts, let us ask for forgiveness of our sins.

Homily:

We live in the most uncertain days: inflation, violence, wars, the presidential campaign, stress, etc.

These, and perhaps even more in our personal and professional lives, bring fear, chaos, and doubts into our hearts.

I myself have moments when I experience powerful uncertainties and doubts; the most recent was the death of my cousin at a young age, to whom I was close.

In those moments, we are filled with turmoil; our inner thoughts seem to be rushing like a Formula 1 race, overanalyzing the situations, how it could be. It seems like it will never stop.

This experience of ours is not far from what the apostles felt in their hearts. In the Gospel of John 20:19, we read: On the evening of that first day of the week, when the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jewish leaders, Jesus came and stood among them and said, "Peace be with you!"

This Gospel can be read literally, meaning the apostles were hiding from potential danger. Their hide-and-seek was not a game; it was an instinct to survive.

Fear causes us to run away or to build a fortress. No surprise, right? Running away is basically a desire to escape an uncomfortable circumstance, feeling, having no peace.

Did you pay attention what was the first phrase Jesus told them after standing in their midst? “Peace be with you.”

Did you know that Jesus’ favorite word after the resurrection is “PEACE.”

It is almost always the first word on his lips when he appears to his apostles, as in the GOSPEL we just listened to: "Peace be with you."

Every time we celebrate Mass, we hear these same words, spoken to us in the here-and-now of our lives, right before we receive the living, resurrected body and blood of our Lord in Holy Communion:"Lord Jesus Christ," the priest says, "you said to your apostles: I leave you peace, my peace I give you."

That is very interesting, why Jesus didn’t give this peace before His resurrection, but without any limits He gives it afterwards?

Because the apostles need it. Because We Need it.

Jesus’ Peace is the antidote to diseases of modern, secular society: stress, depression, and anxiety.

We have all been affected by those diseases.

But this Peace given by Jesus is not an ordinary peace.

His Peace is not the absence of trouble. It is HIS presence in the midst of the trouble.

Jesus is the Only Source of that Peace: “My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful” (John 14:27).

The peace of the resurrected Jesus is what we really need.

St. Seraphim of Sarov says, “Acquire the spirit of peace and a thousand souls around you will be saved.” Interesting! Acquiring the Sprit of Peace is also a tool of the Spreading the Gospel.

But how we can acquire the spirit of Peace, which Jesus offers to all of us - in this chaotic highway of our lives?

Practice gratitude. Find Jesus in every moment of your life. Practice gratitude daily; make it your routine. Change your thoughts from, "I should be more grateful," to, "I could be more grateful."

Take time for silence. We have so much noise. We try to do more, being active and productive, yet we are afraid just to pause. It is necessary to intentionally make time daily for silence—5, 15, or 30 minutes—just get disconnected and be with the Lord, without words. LISTEN.

Take each thought captive. 2 Corinthians 10:5 instructs us to: “Take every thought captive to make it obedient to Christ.” All our thoughts determine our lives. If our thoughts are not at peace, we cannot be at peace. If you start having negative thoughts about yourself or others, pause. Take a moment to reflect and ask yourself if this thought is representative of unconditional love. If it is not, try your best not to dwell on it. These thoughts draw us away from our true selves.

Avoid comparison. Comparison really is the thief of joy… and also peace. We all have many unique talents and gifts to offer the world. When we compare ourselves to others, we cannot live fully into who we are created to be.

Don’t judge yourself. Judging ourselves can sometimes be confused with humility. It can feel like we are trying to improve, but we are really just beating ourselves up. This judgment brings us farther away from peace and from Christ. It is telling God that we don’t believe he really can forgive us. Don’t be discouraged if you have days where you aren’t grateful, don’t take time for silence, or dwell in negative thoughts. This happens to us all. Part of the beauty of life is that we get a new start to each day!

Pay attention to what disturbs your peace. Again, do not judge yourself when your peace is disturbed by something. Talk with a someone you trust, maybe a priest, about how to address the issues in your life. Being stressed or anxious at times is a normal part of being human.

When we began the celebration of this Eucharist, the priest said, "The Lord be with you." When a bishop celebrates the Mass, he begins with the words, "Peace be with you," which means that the Lord, who is in our midst, is the only source of true peace.