I will come back again and take you to myself, so that where I am you also may be. Where I am going you know the way.
Do not let your hearts be troubled.
You have faith in God; have faith also in me.
At its best, this world offers only an occasional, brief, and largely false security, which it calls peace. Its moments of stability offer little solace to the frightened, grieving, and afflicted.
Peace and freedom are spiritual words. They begin within the body, mind, heart, and consciousness of those who have deep roots in God's creation. That is, they know God as creator and themselves as beloved creatures.
They have firm anchors in a sheltered harbor during the most violent storms. Their spirituality rests on the infrastructure of ancient memories of God's Presence in Egypt, the Sinai Wilderness, Palestine, Babylon, the Roman Colosseum, and Auschwitz. They remember the assurance of Joseph in an Egyptian prison, and the confidence of his namesake as he fled Bethlehem with his wife and son.
As freedom is an eager willingness to know, love, and obey God's will, so peace is an assurance that God is here, wherever I might be. Wherever he has sent me or wherever he finds me. Even in my lack of self-assurance, my confusion, and my naivete, the Lord is there beside me. And when I suffer guilt, remorse, and shame for my acknowledged and inexcusable sins, he is carrying his cross as I carry mine.
Nor will he hesitate to go with us into the darkness of our unknown, forgotten sins; those secret traditions of fear, suspicion, and violence which we received from our ancestors and pass to our children.
When the mystic tells us, "All things will be well; and all things will be well; and all manner of things will be well." she includes the atrocities of our history. They too will be resolved even as the Crucifixion of the Son of God was resolved by his triumph over sin and death.
Such peace defies the human imagination. It is beyond comprehension and, like the glory of a sunset, the beauty of a flower, or the innocence of a child, it means nothing to the world. They are concerned with securing peace by avenging wrongs. Later, perhaps, they'll have time for awe, reverence, and piety.
We rest in the Sacred Heart of Jesus. We find shelter in his wounds and beauty in his stripes. We gaze upon the Blessed Sacrament as we prepare to eat the flesh of his agony and drink the cup of his suffering. He remains with us as we go with him to Calvary.
In him is our peace.
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I love to write. This blog helps me to meditate on the Word of God, and I hope to make some contribution to our contemplations of God's Mighty Works.
Ordinarily, I write these reflections two or three weeks in advance of their publication. I do not intend to comment on current events.
I understand many people prefer gender-neutral references to "God." I don't disagree with them but find that language impersonal, unappealing and tasteless. When I refer to "God" I think of the One whom Jesus called "Abba" and "Father", and I would not attempt to improve on Jesus' language.
You're welcome to add a thought or raise a question.