SECRETS  OF PEACE

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily for this 5^th Tuesday in Easter Time is, "Secrets of Peace."

Does everyone have to come up with their own personal secrets for peace on our planet - on their porch - in their home - and in their relationships? Can we learn from others - see what they say - watch what they do - figure out if they work?

It takes working together for peace to make a village work.

I live with 11 guys in the  rectory here on Duke of Gloucester Street.

How many people do you have to  live with - work with - adjust to - communicate with?

How’s it going? What’s the peace temperatures in your house, in the places you enter on a regular basis.

TODAY’S READINGS

Today’s first reading from Acts tells us about some of violence the early Christian Communities were experiencing. We heard today about Paul be attacked and dragged out of a city.  They want to kill him.

Today’s gospel begins with a message of peace:

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.”

Today’s gospel, then, can get us thinking about peace and peace making.

These readings can get us thinking about how we can be peace makers.

What are Jesus’ secrets for peace making?

For starters Jesus tells us that retaliation doesn’t work. An eye for an eye only makes us more blind. A tooth for a tooth leaves us ugly in mouth and mind. Well maybe we won’t notice it because we’ve become blind. So that’s number 1 for Jesus: don’t retaliate.

If we watch ourselves get off a nasty - I don’t know about you - but if I look carefully - if I give another a dig - or a snap back - I can sometimes find a comment trail to something another said about me - and I didn’t think it was fair. I don’t like doing that, but I like spotting them - so I stop doing gossiping or criticizing others. My rocks are usually made of words and my digs I dig up for when I want to bury someone.

Often we are retaliates - in various ways - but many times we’re blind about what’s going on.

SO GO THE OPPOSITE WAY

So Jesus is teaching us to go the extra mile, turn the other cheek, forgive 70 x 7 times - because others don’t know what they are doing. We don’t either.

Pray for the Spirit - the Spirit of Forgiveness - we’re heading towards Pentecost.

POPES ON PEACE MAKING

We can find and read the many comments about peace making from the Social encyclicals of the popes.

Papal letters and encyclicals are not my regular reading. I don’t ever remembering reading a papal document in the bathroom.  I read them when I’m looking something up.

Peace is very tied into justice, fairness, equality.

It starts with kids and getting their fair share of cake and pie.

It continues when we’re thinking of others.

CONCLUSION

The title of my homily is, “Secrets of Peace.”

I stressed these secrets amongst many:

No retaliation.

Go the extra mile.

Work on being a peace maker.

Pray.

Work hard so nobody  will accuse you of not trying.