蜜桃交友

By Christopher Wells

Pope Francis prayed especially for nurses during his daily Mass at Casa Santa Marta on Tuesday morning. More than just a profession, he said, it is a vocation. He acknowledged that nursing is a calling that, especially in this time of pandemic, is marked by heroism 鈥� even to the point of giving one鈥檚 life.

Worldly peace and the peace of Christ

In his homily, Pope Francis reflected on Jesus's words from the Gospel of St John: 鈥淧eace I leave you; my peace I give you鈥� (Jn 14:27).

This peace is not 鈥渦niversal peace鈥�, the peace that comes from the absence of war, the Pope said. Rather it is 鈥減eace in the heart, peace in our souls, the peace we all have within鈥�.

In the Gospel, Jesus says that the peace He will give is not a worldly peace: 鈥淣ot as the world gives do I give it to you鈥�. The peace of this world, said Pope Francis, is a peace given by the things that are superficially pleasing to me. That peace is a kind of 鈥減ersonal possession, something I have in isolation from others, something I keep for myself alone鈥�. Without realizing it, this kind of peace can lull us into a sleepy tranquility, where we end up closed in on ourselves. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a bit selfish鈥�, the Pope said.

It鈥檚 also a 鈥渃ostly鈥� peace, because those who seek it must always change what gives them that peace. 鈥淚t is costly because it is temporary and sterile鈥�.

Peace that looks to heaven

The peace that Jesus gives is very different, the Pope said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a peace that makes you move. It doesn鈥檛 isolate you鈥�. Instead, the peace Jesus gives leads you to reach out to others, 鈥渢o create community and communication鈥�. While the peace the world gives exacts a huge toll, the peace Jesus gives is entirely free, a gift of the Lord.

Pope Francis gave the example from the Gospels of the wealthy man whose barns were filled with grain, who thought he was doing well, and was even looking to build more. 鈥淏ut God said to him, 鈥楩ool! This night your soul is required of you; and the things you have prepared, whose will they be?鈥�(Lk 12:20)鈥� . This worldly peace 鈥渄oesn鈥檛 open the doors to the future, to heaven鈥�, the Pope said, but is concerned only with oneself.

The peace Jesus gives, on the other hand, is always focused on the Lord. It is a peace not just for today, but for the future: 鈥淚t is to begin to live in heaven, with the fruitfulness of heaven鈥�. Worldly peace can lull us to sleep like a drug鈥� but we are constantly in need of another 鈥渄ose鈥�. This worldly peace is limited, because it is always temporary; but the peace that Jesus gives, 鈥渋s definitive, fruitful, and infectious鈥�.

The Holy Father prayed in conclusion, 鈥淢ay the Lord grant us this peace that gives hope, that creates community, and that looks to the definitive peace of paradise鈥�.