Dearest Goddaughter (LTR-71) - Peace be with you.

Dearest Goddaughter,

In today's Gospel, Jesus appeared to the apostles in the upper room and greeted them with "Peace be with you." The peace that Christ offers us transcends the chaos of the world and the busyness of our lives, and helps us to keep focus on what is important - a right relationship with our Lord and our God.

I recall my first year in Diaconal Formation. I had just returned to the paralegal profession and were preparing for trial. I was concerned about missing the required classes on Saturdays but, at the same time, realized that I had a job to do as well. Rather than ruminate on the situation, I prayed. And as I was praying, this peace and warm enveloped me and I knew that it was the Holy Spirit. Jesus was telling me, "I got your back."

So when anxiety arises in your heart, pause and pray. Ask for peace and God will grant you His peace. Jesus will whisper in your ears, "Peace be with you." During the Sign of Peace at Mass, when we offer each other the Sign of Peace, we are reminding one another to invite the peace of Christ into our lives, a peace that will keep us calm in the tempest of life.

Love,

Bỏ Phúc

P.S. These are the readings for the day: Acts 3:11-26 and Lk 24:35-48 (below).

. . .

The disciples of Jesus recounted what had taken place along the way,

and how they had come to recognize him in the breaking of bread.

While they were still speaking about this,

he stood in their midst and said to them,

“Peace be with you.”

But they were startled and terrified

and thought that they were seeing a ghost.

Then he said to them, “Why are you troubled?

And why do questions arise in your hearts?

Look at my hands and my feet, that it is I myself.

Touch me and see, because a ghost does not have flesh and bones

as you can see I have.”

And as he said this,

he showed them his hands and his feet.

While they were still incredulous for joy and were amazed,

he asked them, “Have you anything here to eat?”

They gave him a piece of baked fish;

he took it and ate it in front of them.

He said to them,

“These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you,

that everything written about me in the law of Moses

and in the prophets and psalms must be fulfilled.”

Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures.

And he said to them,

“Thus it is written that the Christ would suffer

and rise from the dead on the third day

and that repentance, for the forgiveness of sins,

would be preached in his name

to all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem.

You are witnesses of these things.”