A reading from the Book of the Acts of the Apostles
Acts 14:19-28
In those days, some Jews from Antioch and Iconium
arrived and won over the crowds.
They stoned Paul and dragged him out of the city,
supposing that he was dead.
But when the disciples gathered around him,
he got up and entered the city.
On the following day he left with Barnabas for Derbe.
After they had proclaimed the good news to that city
and made a considerable number of disciples,
they returned to Lystra and to Iconium and to Antioch.
They strengthened the spirits of the disciples
and exhorted them to persevere in the faith, saying,
“It is necessary for us to undergo many hardships
to enter the Kingdom of God.”
They appointed presbyters for them in each Church and,
with prayer and fasting, commended them to the Lord
in whom they had put their faith.
Then they traveled through Pisidia and reached Pamphylia.
After proclaiming the word at Perga they went down to Attalia.
From there they sailed to Antioch,
where they had been commended to the grace of God
for the work they had now accomplished.
And when they arrived, they called the Church together
and reported what God had done with them
and how he had opened the door of faith to the Gentiles.
Then they spent no little time with the disciples.
From the Gospel according to John
Jn 14:27-31a
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.
You heard me tell you,
‘I am going away and I will come back to you.’
If you loved me,
you would rejoice that I am going to the Father;
for the Father is greater than I.
And now I have told you this before it happens,
so that when it happens you may believe.
I will no longer speak much with you,
for the ruler of the world is coming.
He has no power over me,
but the world must know that I love the Father
and that I do just as the Father has commanded me.”
TUESDAY OF WEEK V Easter
(John 14:27-31)
GOD’S TEACHINGS
Contemplation
Dear People of God,
Before Jesus Christ died on the cross, He comforted His disciples by saying:
“My peace I give to you. Remain in My peace. Don’t be troubled, trust in God and believe in me.”
God always loves His disciples. He always accompanies, guides and shows the way for his disciples to walk on the path of light, on the path of truth and truth to fight Satan.
He knew that: after he returned to God the Father, satan would continue to harass his disciples by: using people around to cause division, to rebel, to lose faith in the disciples with their Master Jesus, and satan also caused all the uproar when the disciples went to preach the word of the Lord, preaching a crucified and risen Jesus Christ to save people. That’s why Jesus told his disciples: “Be at peace in the Lord’s love. Do not be afraid! Don’t be flustered! The peace God gives is not the same as the peace of the world.” God-given peace is this: having God within you. Trust in God, because He is omnipotent, He can do all things. He will protect and protect everyone from big waves. He will give courage to help His disciples to take on trials.
God always loves everyone and invites everyone to come to God, because with God there is peace. Trust, entrust everything to God. He will help when people encounter suffering and difficulties created by the world. When He gives everyone peace, it doesn’t mean that we won’t have to suffer. Not so! But He gives peace, gives strength, it means that God is in our hearts, to help us fight difficulties, fight trials, and hardships like Jesus did through power and strength. by the strength of God the Father and His obedience to God the Father with which He conquered satan.
Now, His children also obey God and remain in His love, then they will have God’s strength to help them fight, to accept the sufferings brought by the world. If you do what God instructs, you will be at peace in the love of God the Father.
Thanks be to God. Amen.
