Tuesday of Fifth Week of Easter
The Peace of Christ
Liturgical Cycle: A, B, C | Lectionary Cycle: I, II
Introduction
In carrying out his mission of proclaiming the Gospel, Paul and Barnabas with him, is persecuted, stoned, driven from one place to another. He doesn’t give up; he continues founding local communities and giving them a basic structure of leadership, so that they can function on their own. He has even the courage to “put fresh hearts into the disciples” and to acknowledge that God has accomplished great things in them.
Likewise, before his passion and death, Christ speaks of peace and encourages the apostles not to be troubled or afraid. Nothing will keep him from carrying out his mission of love. No one can rob us of our interior peace, serenity and freedom if we are united with God in love.
Opening Prayer
Lord our God, almighty Father,
you have absolute power over the world,
and yet you respect the freedom of people,
even of those who persecute your faithful.
Make us realize that our faith
does not protect us against the evil
which people bring upon one another,
but that you want us to build according to your plan
a kingdom of justice, love and peace.
Help our faith to stand the test
when our meager efforts fail.
We ask you this through Christ, our Lord.
First Reading
Then some Jews came from Antioch and Iconium and turned the crowd against them. They stoned Paul and dragged him out of the city, leaving him for dead.
But when his disciples gathered around him, he got up and went back into the city. The next day, he left for Derbe with Barnabas.
Return to Antioch
After preaching the gospel in that town and making many disciples, they returned to Lystra and Iconium, then on to Antioch.
They were strengthening the disciples and encouraging them to stay firm in the faith, saying: “We must go through many trials to enter the kingdom of God.”
In each church, they appointed elders, and after praying and fasting, they commended them to the Lord, in whom they had placed their faith.
Then they traveled through Pisidia and arrived at Pamphylia.
They preached the word in Perga and then went down to Attalia.
From there, they sailed back to Antioch, where they had first been commended to God’s grace for the task they had now finished.
Upon their arrival, they gathered the church and shared with them everything God had done through them, including how He opened the door of faith to the non-Jews.
They spent a good amount of time there with the disciples.
Responsorial Psalm
R.(see 12) Your friends make known, O Lord, the glorious splendor of your kingdom.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Let all your works give you thanks, O LORD,
and let your faithful ones bless you.
Let them discourse of the glory of your kingdom
and speak of your might.
R. Your friends make known, O Lord, the glorious splendor of your kingdom.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Making known to men your might
and the glorious splendor of your kingdom.
Your kingdom is a kingdom for all ages,
and your dominion endures through all generations.
R. Your friends make known, O Lord, the glorious splendour of your kingdom.
or:
R. Alleluia.
May my mouth speak the praise of the LORD,
and may all flesh bless his holy name forever and ever.
R. Your friends make known, O Lord, the glorious splendor of your kingdom.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Alleluia Verse
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Christ had to suffer and to rise from the dead,
and so enter into his glory.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel
Peace be 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!
You heard me say, ‘I am going away, but I am coming to you.’ If you loved me, you would be glad that I go to the Father, for the Father is greater than I.
I have told you this now before it takes place, so that when it does happen, you may believe.
There is very little left for me to tell you, for the ruler of this world is at hand, although he has no power over me.
But see, the world must know that I love the Father and that I do what the Father has taught me to do. Come now, let us go.”
Prayers of the Faithful
– That Christians who are persecuted may learn from Christ to pray for their persecutors and to forgive them, we pray:
– That through trials and adversity, we may grow as human persons and as Christians, we pray:
– That we may always retain our serenity and peace of heart in suffering and contradiction, because we know God is with us, we pray:
Prayer over the Gifts
Lord God, loyal Father,
your Son Jesus Christ,
retained his inner freedom and peace
at the moment of his passion and death,
because he was faithful to his mission of love.
Let him give us in this Eucharist
the same loyalty and love,
that the hardships of life
may not trouble our hearts
but keep us firmly anchored in you
who are our God forever.
Prayer after Communion
Lord our God, God of peace,
through your Son Jesus Christ,
you bring us peace, a kind of peace
which the world cannot give
and which no earthly power can take away.
Let us live in union with you,
that this peace of your Son
may be with us always
and that we may have the quiet strength
to put fresh hearts in our brothers and sisters,
through Jesus Christ, our Lord.
Blessing
“Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not let them be afraid, for peace I leave with you, my peace I give you.” This is the assurance Jesus gives us. We are in God’s hands. May Almighty God bless you, the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit
REFLECTION
John 14: 27-31
The Gift of Peace
The introductory rites of the liturgy always begin with the greeting: “Peace be with you”. This was the first message of the Risen Lord every time he appeared before his disciples.
Today’s Gospel begins with this similar promise: “Peace I leave with you. My peace I give to you.” The peace that Jesus promises is a gift that contains every other gift we need. Jesus addresses His friends with tenderness, sensing their troubled hearts. As He approaches the impending crisis of His arrest, passion, and crucifixion, He remains anxious yet steadfast. Fr. Richard Rohr reminds us that Jesus, too, experiences vulnerability. His humanity shines through, urging us to find solace in our shared struggles. The peace of the Lord is found in fraternity and in the gentleness of encounters with our brothers and sisters.
Jesus also said: “I am going away, but I will return to you”. This is the Lord’s promise to accompany us. Fr. Ron Rolheiser emphasises that this peace is a treasure, a gift we cannot manufacture for ourselves. It flows from Christ’s heart to ours, a balm for our restless souls. We are restless, nervous, worried... . But the Gospel is a reminder, reassuring us that God is present in the darkest moments of our lives and that we must not lose faith.
As we stand on the threshold of uncertainty, Jesus beckons us: “Rise, let us be on our way.” Let us accept His gift—the peace that defies chaos, the peace that transforms hearts. May we carry this peace into a world hungry for solace, becoming bearers of Christ’s promise.
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John 14: 27-31
Choosing Christ’s peace over worldly illusions
As Jesus approached His Passion, He gifted His disciples—and us—saying: “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you” (Jn 14:27). This peace is different from anything the world provides. Earthly peace often relies on power, compromise, or unstable agreements; it is temporary, founded on self-interest and fear. In contrast, the peace of Christ originates from the love displayed on the Cross, through sacrifice and humility. His peace is everlasting because it is anchored in the heart of God.
Our Easter journey invites us to walk the pilgrimage of hope: to leave behind false securities and worldly illusions, and to follow Christ, who does not impose but proposes, who conquers not by the sword but by mercy.
How do we walk this path? Pope Francis had proposed the following process in our journey as Pilgrims of Hope:
First, we achieve inner peace by engaging in personal and communal prayer, having regular encounters with the Lord, and connecting with both people and nature.
Second, by choosing forgiveness daily, resisting the bitterness the world encourages.
Third, by acting with tenderness, even when the world demands hardness.
Fourth, through charitable living, generously loving even those who challenge us.
Fifth, by trusting in God’s timing, not in human strength or instant victories.
Easter is our call to move from fear to trust, from violence to tenderness, from disappointment to deep, living hope. When we allow Christ’s peace to reign in our hearts, we become true witnesses of the Resurrection in a wounded world.
Let us walk this pilgrimage together, hearts fixed on Christ, carrying His peace into every place of darkness. True peace is not conquered by force — it is given by love. Accept Christ’s peace, and become a pilgrim of hope!