Deacon John’s First Homily | May 22, 2022
During this time of year, when the weather is nice, I love to drive my car with the windows down and listen to country music on the radio. Recently I heard a song called, “Peace, Love and Country Music,” by Ronnie Dunn….the chorus goes: “Peace, Love and Country Music, Lord we can sure use some more… Peace, Love and Country Music, we need them like never before.”
Now, not everyone here is a fan of country music like I am but I think we can all agree that we need more Peace in the world. The war in Ukraine and the divisions in our country and in the Church are constant reminders of the lack of peace.
But we also want an inner peace in our hearts; a peace that is lasting, freeing and authentic. This search for peace is one of the biggest quests of the human heart.
We often look for peace by going on vacations, hikes in the woods or buying many material things. These things are not bad in themselves, and they are often quite good for us, but the peace they give doesn’t last, and they can never fully satisfy our deep longing for true and lasting peace.
Even after an amazing vacation, we eventually have to come home and unpack our suitcases and face the realities of the daily tasks and struggles that await us. This is a hard truth for us to accept, and it is probably why many of us wait weeks before we actually pick up our suitcase off the kitchen floor to begin unpacking it.
So, we have this dilemma. On one hand we desire everlasting peace, and on the other hand, we are unable to fill it with worldly things. What exactly is this peace, and how on earth do we get it?
The Gospel today gives us the answer. We hear that Jesus is at his Last Supper, giving a farewell speech to his 12 Apostles. It is the night before he is about to be crucified and he wants to give them courage and faith. Jesus gives them a promise and a gift of peace as he says, “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.”
It is Jesus Christ who is the Prince of Peace who alone can give us this true peace which we seek. And His peace is more than the absence of conflict – which we normally think of when it comes to peace. It is a fruit of the Holy Spirit and an internal tranquility of order in the soul. This peace is a result of being restored to right relationship with God and trusting in his unconditional love for us, even in our fears, anxieties and trials. The Peace of Christ is like being in the eye of the storm, safe and secure with Him, while the tornados of life swirl around us. It is not a promise of freedom from suffering but a promise that Jesus will be with us during them.
Storms Stealing our Peace:
Sometimes however, certain storms can steal our peace. The biggest thing that destroys our peace is our sin – and we all do it. Sin is an offense against reason, truth, and right conscience and it is a failure in genuine love for God and neighbor. It causes disorder in our souls and damages our relationship with our Heavenly Father, and it can even separate us from him eternally if we are unrepentant.
When we sin, our consciences stir in awareness of the wrong we have done. Even if one tries to hide, suppress or even justify their sins, they can never be totally ignored, as they affect us deep down at our core and are always on our mind.
But there is good news! God doesn’t just leave us in our sin and desolation. Because of his great love for us he sent his only Son Jesus, in the flesh to take on our sins and crucified them on the cross. We have been redeemed, saved and washed by the precious blood of Christ.
By his resurrection, Our Lord destroyed death and gives us hope for new life in him and hope for eternal life. Sometimes we may struggle to believe and accept this incredible gift that God gave to us; and maybe it seems too good to be true.
Our sin may make us hide from God’s great love and it can skew the way we see Him. But God is not a punisher waiting to zap us from heaven when we mess up. He is a merciful Father who created us out of love and desperately wants to set us free and bring us back into right relationship with him. To Re-establish peace and order.
It is through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ that this life saving peace is unleashed to us. And we can experience it in a tangible way, in the here and now through the sacrament of confession.
Confession is the primary way we receive forgiveness and peace. One of the first gifts that the risen Lord gave to his apostles was the power to forgive sins. In the upper room, Jesus said to them, “Peace be with you…receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, their sins are forgiven. If you retain the sins of any, they are retained.” Jesus is explicitly linking the forgiveness of sins and peace together.
And this reality has true effect because of his resurrection…Not a myth or made up story to make us feel better about ourselves, but a historical fact with eyewitnesses and non-biblical sources as well.
My brothers and sisters in Christ, the true and lasting peace which we all seek is waiting for us. When we go to confession and hear the words of absolution from the priest, we can be confident that Jesus has truly forgiven our sins. This is why when many people leave the confessional their faces are radiant and filled with much relief and joy….
I know this experience personally. There have been many times in my life where I have come into this Church and into the confessional with a heavy heart because of my sins, and then after confession walking out free as a bird and light as a feather. I sat many times in the pews afterwards, looking at Jesus on the cross, and thanking him for his love, mercy and care for me. God wants to do the same for you.
God’s mercy is truly greater than all of the oceans of the world combined. There is no sin that he can’t forgive…but we have to bring them to the priest who is in the person of Christ. God already knows our sins, but he wants us to recognize them, voice them and receive his mercy and loving embrace. Our Savior greatly desires to give us healing, freedom and peace but he never forces himself on us and always respects our free will.
Conclusion:
So, my friends, where are the areas in your life that you need the peace of Christ? Maybe you need to forgive someone? Perhaps it has been a while since your last confession? Or maybe you are Refusing God’s love?
Whatever it is, surrender it to the Lord and ask him for his true, everlasting, peace.
As we prepare to receive Jesus’ body and blood in the Eucharist, we remember that Jesus Christ is truly risen and, in our midst. By remaining in him and him in us, we can truly find our peace here on earth, and ultimately in heaven, our eternal home and everlasting rest.