Rooted In Peace

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Easter Feria

Today's Readings:
[ Acts 14:19-27; Ps 145:10-13, 22; Jn 14:27-31a ]

In today’s readings, we are invited into a quiet but resolute trust—one that does not ignore hardship, but moves through it with peace rooted in Christ.

In Acts, Paul is stoned, dragged out of the city, and left for dead. Yet he rises, returns, and continues the work. There is no denial of suffering here—only a deep, steady commitment to the mission entrusted to him. From a Franciscan perspective, this reflects the call to embrace both joy and hardship as gifts permitted by God, occasions to participate more fully in the life of Christ. Like Francis of Assisi, who saw even suffering as a path to deeper union with the Crucified, Paul’s perseverance becomes a quiet testimony of love.

Psalm 145 echoes this trust: “The Lord is faithful in all his words, and gracious in all his deeds”. Creation itself bears witness to God’s enduring goodness. The Franciscan tradition has long emphasized this universal chorus of praise—the idea that all creatures, by their very being, proclaim the glory of God. Even in moments of trial, the world remains charged with divine presence, inviting us to join in its song.

In the Gospel reading, Jesus offers a peace unlike anything the world can give: “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives”. This peace is not the absence of conflict or pain, but a profound assurance of God’s abiding presence. It is a peace that coexists with the Cross.

Franciscan spirituality encourages us to receive this peace with open hands—to live simply, love deeply, and trust fully. The world may wound, reject, or misunderstand, but Christ’s peace remains, steady and unshaken. It is this peace that allows us, like Paul, to rise again and continue forward... not by our own strength, but by the grace of God at work within us.

“Let all flesh bless his holy name forever and ever”.

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