6th Sunday of Easter, Cycle C / Mother’s Day
Our Lady of Grace
May 9, 2010
Peace Versus Peaceful Coexistence: What’s the Difference?
By (Rev. Msgr.) Nicholas P. Amato
Making Peace
Two boys in your second grade are fighting. It’s gotten ugly and they are really slugging it out
Your homeroom teacher breaks up the fight by physically separating the two of you.
They stand there with angry looks on their faces as the teacher makes them shake hands.
Is that peace?
Two girls are calling each other names. Bad names
The Lacrosse coach quiets them down
As things begin to settle, the coach tells them both to apologize. Through glaring eyes and tight lips, they do
Is that peace?
Well, it looks like peace from the outside, but is it peace in their hearts?
I don’t think so for there remains a level of strong feelings within both the boys and the girls, strong feelings of anger, resentment.
You know it’s going to last a long, long time
You see, the peaceful efforts of the teacher and the coach were not enough to move hearts
Moving Hearts
In today’s Gospel Jesus is talking about peace, when he says, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give it to you.”
So how is Jesus’ peace different from the peace that the well-intentioned teacher and coach were trying to give?
For the answer to that we need to hear the opening lines of the Gospel again: “Whoever loves me will keep my word, and my Father will love them.”
Listen to what follows: “And we will come to them and make our dwelling with them.”
A very different kind of peace indeed! It’s not peace imposed from without. It’s not a peace that begins by demanding that we shake hands or apologize
No, it’s a peace that comes from God himself and is planted within the person having the conflict.
And it has been planted in there by hearing the Word of God and letting that Word take root in our hearts.
It’s really an indwelling power and energy.
Energy Boosters
Let’s talk about energy boosters, things we eat or drink that offer us a special boost.
Take this for example. It’s called 01 Prime Pre-Game Fuel by Gatoraid. It contains (read from label) “A concentrated blend of carbohydrates, B vitamins and electrolytes, delivering energy and helping to sustain your bodies ability to burn additional carbohydrates when taken 15 minutes before competition. 01 Prime helps your preparation pay off.”
My point is that the liquid promises to make an interior difference that will make winning possible.
Now I’d like to suggest that we have two other “energy boosters,” boosters that will give us real power to achieve peace and to achieve it from within our hearts. The first is this (show host) and the second is this (show Chalice.)
And if we read the label from Sacred Scripture about the host, we read from Jesus’ own lips “This is my body broken so your sins will be forgiven.”
And from the label of Sacred Scripture, about the chalice we read, “This is my blood poured out for love of you.”
And his promise? That, he and the Father “will come to you and make our dwelling with you.”
Responding to Energy Booster of Word and Eucharist
That is why when the Minister of Communion says, “The Body of Christ” We say? “Amen!” and eat this energy booster.
And when the Minister says, “The Blood of Christ” We say? “Amen.” Exactly! And drink this energy booster.
Conclusion
Boys and girls, you have prepared all year to receive Jesus the Lord. You have come this morning/afternoon to accept his offer to make a difference in your life.
We know that real peace cannot be imposed on us by a teacher or coach, a parent or a priest. It must come from within us.
It will take a real energy booster. It will take the life of Jesus coursing through our minds and hearts.
And it gets in by feeding on Jesus’ Flesh and Blood.
That’s the energy booster we have in this glorious Sacrament.
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