Hajja Salesjana

supreme, omnipotent, and sovereign God over everything. We meet every kind of storm in life – emotional, mental, medical, political, and physical. At such times many are out of control, restless, and confused. We struggle to stay calm in the face of trials and problems. And so, St. Mark reminds us how the Lord responds when we call on Him…. the storms die down, and our lives become perfectly calm (Mark 4:39). God’s peace is a gift that supersedes pain and difficulty. It ensures that either the storm calms or we calm down until the storm passes. When circumstances feed us fear, anxiety, and uncertainty, we do not stir up the peace within us; we instead enter into true peace in God. God Gives Us Peace That Rules In Our Lives The Gospel of St. John gives us a message of the promise of eternal peace amidst our many troubles. The Lord Jesus was greatly concerned with the future of His followers. He wanted them to keep the faith until the end. And so, He gave them a great legacy in the promise of the Holy Spirit and His peace…. Peace I leave you, My peace I give you; not as the world gives, do I give to you. Do not let your hearts be troubled nor fearful (John 14:27). Jesus, the Prince of Peace and the Lord of Peace emphasizes this spiritual peace by referring to it as My Peace. St Paul reiterates that the Lord will strengthen you in troubles and will bless you with His peace (2 Thessalonians 3:16). We are to live free from fear or worry by embracing what He has done for each one of us individually. We are to let the peace of Christ, to which we are indeed called in one body, rule in our hearts (Colossians 3:15). Only the Lord Jesus will give us true peace when troubles come, for He gives peace, not as the world does. The peace the world offers is peace occurring when there is no war or conflict; the peace we experience when everything looks and feels good. The peace of God does not depend on our situations. It is an inner peace that gives believers confidence that God is at work and reminds us of divine presence. Whether we see it or not, whether we feel it or not, we know (cf. Psalm 23:4). The troubles are there but have been overshadowed by the peace of God, so you can’t see them. We are aware that fear will always come, but we are assured in the promise of the Holy Spirit and inner peace by having the Father and the Son abiding in us. This is more than enough to cast out every fear or trouble that may set in. Therefore, when fear comes, we replace it with peace by trusting in the Lord Jesus (John 14:1). As the Psalmist puts it, we must trust God in all situations, and embrace His word, for He is too faithful to fail. When I am afraid, I will put my trust in You. In God, whose word I praise, In God I have put my trust; I shall not be afraid. What can mere mortals do to me? (Psalm 56:3-4). This peace gives us the ability to deal with the troubles we experience. The Lord Jesus spoke of having overcome the world (John 16:33). He is victorious over sin and the troubles that sin causes. When we take courage and place our hand in His, through His strength, we overcome the problem and experience the peace He offers. In trusting God, we share the richness of peace in our lives (Isaiah 26:3). It is in loving God’s law that we have great peace, and nothing causes us to stumble (Psalm 119:165). Take-Home Message We must learn to keep our eyes on the Lord, obey His commandments, and hold onto His promises to find peace in His presence. Isaiah has prophesied that the Lord will keep the steadfast of mind in perfect peace because he trusts in Him (Isaiah 26:3). As we look for peace in trying times, we will know when we have the peace of God because we will experience peace with God, peace within ourselves, and peace with others. Now the peace of God be with you all, Amen. – Romans 15:33 26 Jannar-Marzu 2024 hajja