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Story of our riot against a baby sitter when we were little and she sent us to bed as soon as our parents left. Even though we were terrible, she told mom and dad that we were fine…
Have you ever had a similar experience of hearing or reading something that doesn’t line up with the way you remember it? That’s what is going on in the first reading today. The life of a christian for the first 300 or so years, was anything but peaceful. It was illegal to profess belief in Jesus and those who did had to worship in secret. Many of the first followers of Christ were Jewish and ended up getting kicked out of the temple and shunned by their families. There were constant persecutions, countless martyrdoms, and even internal arguments among its leaders. No one was a casual Christian because of the sacrifice and commitment involved. So, why in the world does the first reading end with the phrase, “The church throughout all Judea, Galilee, and Samaria was at peace”? It certainly was not! At least not in the way we measure peace.
However, if we look at the early christian community with a different lens, then we see something else. Yes, there was no shortage of controversy, conflict, persecution, and suffering. Externally, all around them, things were blowing up. But internally, within the hearts and souls of believers, they were united in their purpose and belief: Jesus was the Son of God, the Messiah who had conquered sin and death. He had absorbed the worst of what the world could do and emerged victorious. This message of hope, along with the gift of the Holy Spirit at pentecost, had transformed these early Christians. Even as the world was falling apart around them, they would not and could not lose their peace because they knew, in the deepest part of their being, as long as they remained united to Jesus, they could not be defeated. Nothing could be taken from them that God could not restore and give back. This is the peace alluded to in the first reading. An internal peace that does not depend on what is happening in the outside world. They were connected to the true vine, Jesus Christ, and his life and strength overpowered anything they had to deal with in the world.
It’s hard to imagine a more necessary spiritual quality for us in our time! How many of us have thought, “I will be happy when this pandemic is over and things get back to normal?” Or maybe, I will be able to relax once I get that raise or position at work and there is a little more money rolling in. Or, once this politician is out or this policy is changed. Or, once the Church gets that issue figured out or my parish starts doing this…Or I graduate from this school or don’t have so-and-so as my teacher. All of us, no matter who we are, at one time or another, set an expectation, a goal of, what needs to happen in order for us to be a peace and happy. More often than not, those conditions rely on other people’s decisions and external factors which may or may not go our way. Even if things work out, we all know how quickly they can change and then we are right back to where we were, anxious, unsettled, perhaps even unhappy.
The peace we crave, the stability we long for, cannot be given by the world nor can it wait for an end to suffering, conflict, disappointment, or any of the other bad and hurtful things that afflict humanity. The beauty of God’s peace is that it starts from within and works it’s way out into every part of our lives. Since it’s not given by others or based on what the world provides, it cannot be taken away by anything this life deals us. It is truly a peace beyond all human understanding. This is what enabled the early Christians to experience a deep, abiding peace even while they were being persecuted, driven out of their homes, and put to death. Their serenity was not based on the things they had, how they were regarded, or what was owed to them. As long as they stayed connected to Jesus, they had what they needed.
This seems like a radical and unrealistic way of life for you and me. We like to think that our times and our struggles are different. Maybe the Holy Spirit was stronger back then! But these are just excuses. If we are waiting for things around us to calm down and clear up before we can be at peace and work on our friendship with God, then we will be forever waiting. There will always be another crisis, another trial, some obstacle or reason that we cannot quite be happy, hopeful, holy, or content…yet. The time for peace is now and that peace starts in me from my relationship with God and my sincere acknowledgement that He is what will satisfy my and provide what I need.
Take some time to honestly and deeply consider if you experience the peace described in the first reading. Where would you say your peace comes from? Is it within or does it depend on things and people outside of your control? Do you have peace at all or do you struggle with a nagging sense of anxiety and unhappiness or feel compelled to always stay busy? So many of us modern people are discontent and empty, not because we are bad people, but because we have placed our hope for peace and happiness on external things, things that can be lost and taken away! The secret is ridiculously simple and available to all of us. It’s the reason the men of our parish are on retreat this weekend. Its the reason our young people gave up their weekend to lead and participate in the Luke 18 retreat. That reason is a person, Jesus Christ. He is the true vine described in the gospel. Stay connected to him and your life will bear the fruits of peace, joy, and satisfaction, no matter what is happening around you. Being part of the vine is not easy. There will be parts of our lives, some of our priorities, and even certain relationships that must be pruned away. But any pain or loss experienced for His name will help us stay connected to Jesus who can never be defeated or taken away.
There is no reason Incarnate Word cannot be described like the early Church in our first reading. At peace, being built up, walking in the fear of the Lord and growing in numbers even in the midst of a world full of conflict and division. God wants that for us; are we ready to want it for ourselves?
