GOSPEL, John (14, 27-31)
Gospel of Our Lord Jesus Christ according to Saint John
The Promise of the Holy Spirit
27 Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid. 28 You heard me say to you, ‘I am going away, and I am coming to you.’ If you loved me, you would rejoice that I am going to the Father, because the Father is greater than I. 29 And now I have told you this before it occurs, so that when it does occur, you may believe. 30 I will no longer talk much with you, for the ruler of this world is coming. He has no power over me; 31 but I do as the Father has commanded me, so that the world may know that I love the Father. Rise, let us be on our way.
The Gospel of the Lord
REFLECTION
Jesus says goodbye to his friends, leaving them a precious gift “I leave you peace, I give you my peace; I don’t give it to you like the world does”
Christ’s peace is the goal of his coming to the world. (John 10, 10) Those who accept salvation from God and those who accept the teachings of His Son, Jesus, are able to live in peace and happiness. As St. Paul says in his letter to the Ephesians, “He is our peace” (vs.2:4). This is not a self-serving and temporal peace with the absence of war and violence but rather, a balance of forces.
God’s peace gives the joyful believer assurance of Christ’s permanent presence by his Spirit. “Let your heart not be disturbed or intimidated. You heard what I said to you: I will go and return to your side”.
Jesus is about to leave for the Father, but this should not cause fear and distrust in the disciples, but peace and joy, because, in fact, Christ goes to the glory of the Father, who will give us all the blessings with his peace. “If I do not go, the Paraclete will not come to you” (John 16, 7).
His departure means His mission has been accomplished in obedience and freedom: “no one takes my life, but I am the one who gives it freely. I have the power to deliver it and to recover it. This is the mandate I received from the Father” (vs.10: 18).
Following Jesus’ example, we too must be messengers of God’s peace to all those with whom we meet.
In the Eucharistic celebration, when the moment of communion approaches, the liturgical prayers of the community focus on the subject of the peace we have received from God and that, as with the bread of unity, we share with all brethren in Christ.
PRAYER
We glorify you, Lord, because Christ sealed the new covenant with his blood. He is our ultimate peace. Keep us always Lord in communion with you, so that we can be messengers of peace in our world sharing the bread of unity and goodwill. Amen.