Lectio Divina: 6th Sunday of Easter

“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you.” — John 14:27

REFLECTION

In today’s Gospel, Jesus reminds the apostles that those who love Him will also keep His word. If they keep His word, then not only will they have the love of the Father, but they will also become the dwelling place of the Trinity. But how can we keep something that we do not know? How can we live out teachings that we aren’t familiarized with? If we want to follow what Jesus said, we need to know what He taught, how he lived, and what He asked of us.

This means we need to make sure we’re spending time with Scripture. Studying it. Praying with it. Consuming it. Allowing it to plant seeds in our hearts. Inviting God to His words to transform and convict us. It is precisely through studying, keeping, and living these words that we will encounter His peace. It is a peace He freely offers to us.

The Lord wants us to have this peace. It doesn’t mean that there’s no chaos or crisis around us. However it gives us the ability to see everything through His eyes. Jesus invites us to not let our hearts be troubled or afraid. This is not easy, but if we keep His word and invite the Holy Spirit into our hearts, then we will experience it. The Lord is offering us the gift of peace. Will we allow ourselves to accept it by keeping His word and becoming dwelling places of the Holy Spirit?

QUESTIONS 

1. Do I try and keep the Lord’s word?
2. Have I invited the Lord to make His dwelling in my heart?
3. What do I need to learn from the Holy Spirit this week?
4. Is the Lord’s peace present in my life?
5. Do I allow what is going on in the world to trouble me?