THEME: “LET NOT YOUR HEARTS BE TROUBLED”

(Acts 15:1-2, 22-29; Revelation 21:10-14; John 14:23-29)

“‘Peace I leave with you, my Peace I give you’; ‘Do not let your hearts be troubled’”. With the ascension of Jesus in view, He assures his disciples and all humanity that he will never leave his people without any hope. The truth remains that many fears abound today: unstable health condition, the high cost of living, the fear of  what the future holds for our families, especially our children; terrorism, random shooting, and so on. Surely, these are capable of raising fears in us and it sure does that.

It is in direct response that Jesus Christ gives these powerful assuring words: if we love him by keeping his commands, we will receive same love of God in return. Again, he is not leaving us, he’s to come back as he is always present but now in the person of the Holy Spirit, who will help us truly understand whom we are and our mission of evangelism in the world.

The Holy Spirit is the gift of God to humanity. Doing things our own way is of no value, we must rely on this great gift of God to live better. God is always with his people. Are we with him? “If anyone loves me and keeps my word, I and my Father will come to dwell in him or her” (Jn. 14:23).

The peace promised by Jesus is SHALOM. It means total wellbeing. It is built on love, justice, truth, happiness and freedom. Jesus is interested in our total wellbeing.  The Holy Spirit is the agent of this wellbeing. He is the agent of peace. We need to open up to the Spirit of God as the agent of real peace. Opening up to the Holy Spirit also implies having a loving disposition for God and neighbour. It is this loving disposition that enables us to have the peace, which Jesus gives us. Let us always remember the wonderful Prayer of St. Francis of Assisi:

            Lord make me an instrument of your peace; where there is hatred let me sow love…

HAPPY SUNDAY!