Peace is a Gift From God

Jesus said to his disciples:
"Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you.
Not as the world gives do I give it to you.
Do not let your hearts be troubled or afraid.
You heard me tell you,
'I am going away and I will come back to you.'
If you loved me,
you would rejoice that I am going to the Father;
for the Father is greater than I.
And now I have told you this before it happens,
so that when it happens you may believe.
I will no longer speak much with you,
for the ruler of the world is coming.
He has no power over me, but the world must know that I love the Father and that I do just as the Father has commanded me."

I write these reflections early in the morning. In the colder months the sun isn't up and now in the springtime, by the time I decide what I am going to say, the first hint of dawn is making its presence known and sometimes just before the sun breaks, the birds will announce the beginning of a new day.  It is like a liturgy of nature, God's way of getting things going in the morning.  I long for this time in the morning, it is the time when I feel most alive, most ready to take on the day.  I feel a great deal of peace in my heart and a lot of that comes from reading the readings of the day and letting God have the first say of what is going to go into my head.  Who would ever think that a cluttered desk would be a place that God would visit in the morning? 

The peace that is in my heart right at this moment, as I write these things is a gift from God. It is this peace that keeps me reading and reflecting and writing.  It is easily the best part of my day and I will enjoy it and cling to it as much as I can.  But, then the rest of the day comes crashing in.  The boss is in a cranky mood, the customers are all bent out of shape, the phone never stops ringing and I have two projects due in one hour.  Where did the peace go? 

The peace that God delivered to me is still there, it is just covered over with the silt of the river of life, covered by a thin layer of the concerns of the day. It is recoverable, it is not lost forever!  All I have to do is sneak a minute and ask God to give me His peace again and He will do so.  The calm will enter in replacing the panic and I will be better able to deal with the concerns of the day.  The best thing is, I can ask God for help and peace as often as necessary and He will never fail to help, 

May you find the peace of God in your life today. May He follow you wherever you go and be ready to restore you when you most need it.  May your day rise like incense as God's peace fills your heart. 

Please remember the Poor Souls in Purgatory and pray for them today.