Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times in every way. The Lord be with you all.
This is the second week of advent, and for those of you lighting your advent candles, you now have 2 purple candles burning. The second candle symbolizes peace. A lot of people talk about peace during this season, and so many Christmas songs talk about peace, but what about the rest of the year?
One of my favorite parts of the Catholic Mass is that we wish peace to each other every single week. We remember Christ's promise of peace to us, and spread peace among our brothers and sisters. So many times, as Christians, we get caught up in what our specific churches say, and at times, we lose the peace among ourselves. Denominations will battle each other over theological differences, and sometimes entire churches actually build ministry around causing disruption by protesting at military funerals, and other gatherings. I think it is so sad that we have lost the simple message of Christ's peace.
Peace is a spiritual fruit, part of the bounty of salvation. By rejecting this peace, we are losing an amazing opportunity to welcome the Holy Spirit. Peace can bring tranquility and comfort. Why on earth would we ever say no to this? So my wish for you all today is peace. Be at peace with yourself, and the person God is shaping you to be. Be at peace with His plan for your life. So what if the presents are not wrapped, so what if you do not sent Christmas cards this year, or only have 2 kinds of cookies instead of 4? Open your heart to the amazing blessing of God's peace, and remember it's importance not only at Christmas, but all year long.
Peace of Christ be with you all.
