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Tuesday of week 8 of the year or Saint Gregory VII, pope or Saint Mary Magdalen of Pazzi, Virgin or Saint Bede the Venerable, Priest, doctor

May 25th, 2010

"I have told you all this so that you may find peace in me"
John 16 : 29 - 33

The presence of God’s reign through Jesus brings peace to the world.   It is a gift that Jesus bestows in His absence.   He says, “peace I leave with you”.   Only Jesus can give this peace.   In the world there is hatred,  selfishness,  bitterness,  malice and fear,  which prevent any attempt at letting peace reign.   Jesus displays His own peace throughout His suffering and death.   He fulfills God’’s promise of peace through the Cross.   Peace between God and humanity comes at the price of  His violent death.   The Disciples face persecution because of unbelief,  but Jesus tells them not to be afraid,  but to take courage.   By His death Jesus obtained for sinners – “the peace of God that surpasses all understanding”

Prayer


Prayer : Lord, let peace fill our hearts, our world and our universe. Amen.

Just a Thought

The Eucharist

The manner in which we celebrate Eucharist and the reverence we give to it speak greatly of the sort of people we are. The following is a lovely story from the early Church which I came across recently: it might help us to understand what it means to be a member of the Church:

Cyprian of Cathage, wrote to his friend, Donatus: “It’s a bad world, Donatus, in which we live. But right in the middle of it I have discovered a quiet and holy group of people. They are people who have found a happiness that is a thousand times more joyful than all the pleasures of our sinful lives. These people are despised and persecuted, but it doesn’t matter to them. They are Christians, Donatus, and I am one of them.”

St. Luke, in the Acts of the Apostles, describes how those people, the early Christians, bore witness to Christ and celebrated the Eucharist – i.e. the Mass; “The community of believers was of one heart and mind, and no one claimed private ownership of any possessions;… There was not a needy person among them…. Every day they devoted themselves to meeting together in the temple area and to breaking bread in their homes…”

The Eucharist has consequences for the way we should live our lives. St. Augustine tells us that the Lord gave us these gifts of his Body and Blood so that we, too, might become these very things – i.e. his Body and Blood for the life of the world.

During the celebration of the Last Supper Jesus said, “I have given you an example, that you also should do what I have done to you.” Through us Christ is made present to our world. Our sharing in the Eucharist bonds us together with our brothers and sisters who have also been immersed into the life of Christ through the waters of Baptism.

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