The Peace of Christ

The Feast of Pentecost
Today’s Readings: [Click here]

Today we celebrate the great feast of Pentecost, the culmination of the Easter season. This is the day that the Holy Spirit came down upon the apostles and those gathered in the upper room—changing their lives forever. It would also change the lives of countless people they came in contact with, and that’s why we also consider Pentecost to be the birthday of the Church on earth.

This past week, I was reading a little article about butterflies. I guess I hadn’t really thought much about caterpillars and cocoons and the like since elementary school, so it was fun to have a quick refresher. You may recall that the butterfly lays eggs, and these hatch into caterpillars. They’re the children of the species. Caterpillars, of course, are earthbound. In due time, they form a cocoon. Inside, the chrysalis begins to transform. Eventually, the new adult emerges—in the form of a butterfly, which is liberated from the ground and now can fly.

As I read the simple story, I made a mental analogy that somehow, we start out spiritually like the earthbound caterpillar. Then when we receive the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of Pentecost, we are released and transformed into a butterfly. In a supernatural sense, we become adults in the Lord. But of course, unlike caterpillars, we have a choice. If we want to live out our lives held down by gravity and munching on leaves, we can do that. But if we want to open our heart and ask the Holy Spirit in, then we create a beautiful new destiny for ourselves.

I love our short gospel passage today. Jesus says: Peace be with you… receive the Holy Spirit.

There’s a great quotation that basically says that in order for people to be at peace, they need three things: someone to love, something to do, and something to look forward to. This is exactly the formula that Jesus uses in these few short verses.

First, the disciples showed that they loved Christ. The Scripture says: The disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord.

Secondly, Christ gave them something to do. He said to them: As the Father has sent me, so I send you.

And lastly, Jesus gave them something to look forward to: He breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit.”

In just a few short words, Christ gave them the formula for peace in their lives. And best of all, this way to peace would serve them well even with all the inner turmoil they were experiencing because of their fear of the religious authorities who were seeking their very lives. We know, in fact, that these apostles—the first bishops of the Church—went on to lay the foundation for the Christian faith which today has spread to every corner of the globe and has touched literally billions of human beings.

All these centuries later—and indeed, to the end of time—all people are invited to experience the peace that Jesus gives. Even in the midst of storms, we can experience that peace. The storms in our lives may come from our own inner turmoil or from outside circumstances beyond our control that befall us. But either way, Christ is prepared and eager to enter our lives with the same message of hope and joy: Peace be with you. Yes, it is the peace of loving God, of doing his mission, and of looking forward to his rewards.

Did you ever stop to wonder why peace was Jesus’ parting gift to humanity? Is it possible that another virtue might have served us better?

Take courage, for example. For the apostles, and for all of us, courage would be great to have so we could stand up to face the future and especially the trials ahead. But the Lord no doubt realized that courage without peace soon becomes aggression… and aggression is not our God’s way.

Well then, how about wisdom? The Bible speaks about wisdom quite a bit. If the disciples—and again, if we—had an extra measure of wisdom, then maybe the gospel could have been spread more rapidly, more efficiently. But once again, Jesus knew that wisdom by itself often leads to arrogance and pride. Only when it’s combined with inner peace does wisdom, even heavenly wisdom, remain humble and effective.

But peace! Doesn’t peace just seem so flimsy… so nebulous… so impossible?

Yes, I suppose it does when it’s designed by human hearts. But Jesus gives us another kind of peace—the peace that transcends earthly understanding. It’s the peace that is stable when everything around us is collapsing. It’s the peace that accompanies us wherever we go, and strengthens and nourishes us even in the face of death. It equips us to build strong bridges over hostile waters. It calls us to see all of life thoughtfully. It encourages harmony. It highlights truth. That is the peace Jesus promises.

Hopefully our prayer today, on Pentecost, is this: “Jesus, I want this peace! What must I do?”

And the Lord answers: “Simply open your heart, my friend. Touch the peace that lies within. Unwrap the gift already given.” Amen. Alleluia.