Apostles are sent to bring peace. Peace only finds a place in a home where people who are truly listening dwell. Who is worthy of peace? Who is worthy of the Gospel? The one who receives humbly whoever the Lord sends them. The attitude of a humble servant who is able to listen and learn from the messengers of God will earn him also the gift of peace. We don’t need to be overly worried or prepared ahead of time if we rely on God’s Providence. Prudence requires us to think ahead, but never so well and so far that God would only be getting in the way. Coming to rely fully on God’s Providence will increase within us the gift of sacred peace. The world cannot give this peace, because the world only produces an incomplete and superficial version. The peace of the world is the calm between storms; the peace of Christ is given in the midst of storms: His Providence will only be made more perfect by the storm.
Monday of the Ninth Week in Ordinary Time
The Resurrection must progressively become the only future we are expecting. This has two consequences on our day to day life. First, it means we don’t have much else to look forward to in this life: we are glad to see the grace of God at work in ourselves and in others, and we are delighted by the occasions to be part of the divine movement. Second, it means we no longer expect to get something good or bad out of this life: the resurrection infinitely surpasses anything we have or can experience in this life. All other goods, compared to the resurrection, are absolutely inferior. The resurrection is something divine: Jesus says, “I AM the resurrection.” It is the most godlike thing that can happen to our human flesh – born again to immortality.