April 23, 2025

By Father William Muench
NCC columnist

The resurrection of Jesus changes everything. Easter is a time for rejoicing. The resurrection of Jesus transforms everything. Each year as I celebrate Easter, I know that I am a new person – changed again, truly a different, new person. The Gospels contain many stories about the resurrection of Jesus. Each year, these stories become a little more my story, and I find something new as I put myself into the story. I find a place for myself in the event of the Lord’s resurrection. I learn so much from the resurrected Savior I discover new hope for my future. I have a greater reason to dedicate myself to my vocation. I realize even more the Lord’s great love for me and us all. I come again to realize Jesus’ gift of peace for us all even now.

Today I would like to center on the Lord’s peace. The resurrected Jesus offered peace to his apostles that they would have the faith and spirit to transform this world. Jesus showed us and continues to show us that we need his love and peace if we are to transform a broken world. I have come to realize that I need the Lord’s peace desperately. I have discovered that we will find peace in belonging only to God. Peace is not just an absence of war. As followers of Jesus, his peace must be within us, in our hearts and souls. As we find Christ’s peace, we can make our Church and our world a place of peace. Peace will give us a state of inner calm. We will find a proper relationship with our God and with others. This peace is God’s gift for us all. When we open our hearts, we will discover the Lord’s gift of peace.

In the days of the Lord Jesus, people would greet each other by saying, “Shalom.” It means peace but even more. In general, this conveys a sense of universal completeness, nothing is lacking. Only through this peace, we are in perfect communion with our God. Peace is the great gift we can give to one another. But we can’t give it if we haven’t got it. And we can’t give it to someone who doesn’t want it or who is unable to receive it.

The resurrected Jesus offered peace to his apostles. He had found peace himself even after his terrible sufferings through his resurrection. When Jesus appeared to his apostles, he did not scold them or berate them. Rather, he offered his peace to turn despair into hope, their sadness into joy.

At each Mass that we participate in, we remember the peace of Jesus. Just before Holy Communion, a prayer is offered to introduce the Sign of Peace. “Lord, Jesus Christ who said to your apostles: Peace I leave you, my peace I give you, look not on our sins, but on the faith of your Church, and graciously grant her peace and unity in accordance with your will.”

The Christian has a vocation to peace. As we offer peace to others during Mass, we should bring peace to all we meet each day. We are truly to be powerful peacemakers in our homes and in our communities. The challenge is that instead of giving peace to others, we may inflict in this our own unrest and unhappiness. Each time the resurrected Jesus appeared to his apostles he began by saying to them, “Peace be with you.” I believe that each time Jesus comes to us in prayer, he will greet us, “Peace be with you.”

So, as peacemakers, we are called to open our hearts to the Lord so that we may experience his peace. This is a peace that no one can take away from us, a peace which can truly exist even in a troubled world. Peace leads to a right relationship with God and with others. Peace results when we trust our God.