Good News Inspiration for Daily Life
Bulletin Insert for June 5, 2022.
Description: In the Gospel for Pentecost Sunday, John 20:19-23, Jesus says “peace be with you” twice. First, he gives his disciples the gift of peace so that they can take their focus off of their worries to look at him and recognize him standing in their midst. Then he says it again while giving them the vocation of continuing the mission that he had started. This time, “peace be with you” is to be the fruit of a life lived in the Holy Spirit while serving God for the sake of the world.
It’s one thing to feel peaceful because we know that Jesus is with us. It’s quite a challenge, though, to feel peaceful when telling others about Jesus, for we feel inadequate and overwhelmed, and we’re afraid of being persecuted and rejected. That’s why he gave us his Holy Spirit. Therefore, one of the fruits of partnering with Jesus in the power of his Spirit is an inner peace that does not depend on what happens, nor on what others do or don’t do to us. Peace is the result of being alive in the Spirit. Peace is the Spirit’s activity within us.
Ideas for use: Bulletin insert for Pentecost Sunday, Confirmation classes, adult education, faith sharing groups, Charismatic prayer meetings, RCIA Mystagogy class, etc.
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