So he came and proclaimed peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near, for through him both of us have access in one Spirit to the Father.
[Adapted from 2017-2018 Sermon & Class Helps, Year B, Herald House, 2017, p. 81]
The living presence of the Holy Spirit provides Christian hope. We practice hope during our active life as disciples. As disciples, we worship, we pray, we gather in community, and we share the sacraments.
Additionally, as Christians, we are called to provide hospitality to the stranger, to serve the needy, to feed the hungry, and to relieve suffering. All these activities help us reconcile and forgive, granting us God’s peace.
Regardless of what the future might bring, the Paraclete teaches us and our community that true Christian hope is to share joyously in the good news of Jesus Christ. We are to witness to God’s gift of grace and generosity with unbounded love. We are to struggle against violence and inequality, to enter into solidarity with all who suffer, and to take risks for freedom, peace, and justice for all.
True Christian hope is action in which we wholeheartedly work toward the consummation of life in communion with God and all of creation.
It is the Paraclete, the Holy Spirit, who guides us to speak the truth and to open ourselves to the grace and beauty of creation. The Triune God is acting and loving amid our lives and our world. We are called to follow the Holy Spirit, to join in service, and to share in Christian hope God’s blessings to creation.
Prayer Phrase
“For by grace you have been saved” (Ephesians 2:8).
Spiritual Practice
The Jesus Prayer of Mercy
The Jesus Prayer is an ancient spiritual practice from Orthodox Christianity. It is a way of connecting with the gracious Spirit of Christ as we ask to receive his mercy. The prayer comes from the scripture of the blind man calling Jesus to heal him. Silently enter prayer and let your breath become slow and even. Greet God and then take up the prayer phrase: Lord, Jesus Christ (as you breathe in) … have mercy on me (as you breathe out). Prayerfully repeat these words for several minutes (or forty times). Breathe the presence of Christ into your mind, heart, and body. Be transformed as you receive the compassionate, peaceful heart of Jesus.
Today’s Prayer for Peace
Engage in a daily practice of praying for peace in our world. Click here to read today’s prayer and be part of this practice of peace.