Reading 1
Acts 14:19-28
In those days, some Jews from Antioch and Iconium
arrived and won over the crowds.
They stoned Paul and dragged him out of the city,
supposing that he was dead.
But when the disciples gathered around him,
he got up and entered the city.
On the following day he left with Barnabas for Derbe.
After they had proclaimed the good news to that city
and made a considerable number of disciples,
they returned to Lystra and to Iconium and to Antioch.
They strengthened the spirits of the disciples
and exhorted them to persevere in the faith, saying,
“It is necessary for us to undergo many hardships
to enter the Kingdom of God.”
They appointed presbyters for them in each Church and,
with prayer and fasting, commended them to the Lord
in whom they had put their faith.
Then they traveled through Pisidia and reached Pamphylia.
After proclaiming the word at Perga they went down to Attalia.
From there they sailed to Antioch,
where they had been commended to the grace of God
for the work they had now accomplished.
And when they arrived, they called the Church together
and reported what God had done with them
and how he had opened the door of faith to the Gentiles.
Then they spent no little time with the disciples.
Gospel
Jn 14:27-31a
Jesus said to his disciples:
“Peace I leave 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 tell you,
‘I am going away and I will come back to you.’
If you loved me,
you would rejoice that I am going to the Father;
for the Father is greater than I.
And now I have told you this before it happens,
so that when it happens you may believe.
I will no longer speak much with you,
for the ruler of the world is coming.
He has no power over me,
but the world must know that I love the Father
and that I do just as the Father has commanded me.”
Meditation: John 14:27-31
Do not let your hearts be troubled. (John 14:27)
The disciples had more than enough reason to be troubled. Jesus was about to leave and that the “ruler of the world” was on his way (John 14:30). But while the disciples were troubled, Jesus was happy: He knew that his departure would bring them peace. With Jesus at the Father’s right hand, he could pour his Spirit into their hearts, and the Spirit would then reveal God’s love to them in new and deeper ways. Thus would their anxious hearts be put to rest.
So how can we come to know God’s love in the same way that the disciples came to know it? How can we experience the peace that Jesus promised them? The key lies in dynamic prayer. The Catechism of the Catholic Church tells us that prayer should engage “thought, imagination, emotion, and desire” (CCC, 2708). Mobilizing our God-given faculties in this way can bring the truths of our faith to life and lead us ever deeper into the Father’s heart. Prayer works when we ask the Holy Spirit to lift up our natural imagination and give us spiritual insight.
St. Ignatius of Loyola often relied on his imagination when he prayed. With a Bible before him, he would picture the setting and time of whatever story he was reading and then imagine himself in the scene. In his imagination, he would pay close attention to the details in the scene and ask Jesus questions about what was going on. Ignatius especially liked to imagine himself at the Last Supper, at the Sermon on the Mount, or at Calvary as he watched Jesus give up his life for us.
Try it yourself. Imagine yourself at one of Ignatius’ favorite scenes—or one of your own. What is Jesus saying and doing? What is the expression on his face? What does his voice sound like? Now, imagine Jesus talking right to you as the scene is playing out. What message does he have for you today, and how can you best respond to him? It’s amazing how much peace you can experience! Jesus really has calmed your anxious heart, just as he did for the disciples at the Last Supper!
“Father, I want to know you more! Show me your majesty, your love, and your joy. Let the knowledge of you remove my anxieties and fears.”
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