Reading 1
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.
Responsorial Psalm
R.(see 12) Your friends make known, O Lord, the glorious splendor of your kingdom.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Let all your works give you thanks, O LORD,
and let your faithful ones bless you.
Let them discourse of the glory of your kingdom
and speak of your might.
R. Your friends make known, O Lord, the glorious splendor of your kingdom.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Making known to men your might
and the glorious splendor of your kingdom.
Your kingdom is a kingdom for all ages,
and your dominion endures through all generations.
R. Your friends make known, O Lord, the glorious splendor of your kingdom.
or:
R. Alleluia.
May my mouth speak the praise of the LORD,
and may all flesh bless his holy name forever and ever.
R. Your friends make known, O Lord, the glorious splendor of your kingdom.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Alleluia
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Christ had to suffer and to rise from the dead,
and so enter into his glory.
R. Alleluia, allelu
Gospel
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
Paul was chased down and stoned. They thought they had stoned him to death. But when the disciples gathered around him, he stood up and returned. Returned to preaching and doing what Jesus had sent him to do.
It wasn’t easy. There was pain and sorrow and hurt. But with the community he was able to get up and continue doing what he knew he was called to do and continue the way, the path Jesus had sent him on.
And through it all the peace of Christ strengthened him and he knew that peace deep within. So even while the world tried to beat him down, his heart knew the peace of Christ.
And that is what Jesus is talking about in the Gospel. We are not St Paul. But we are called to be saints too. We are called to make decisions in life that aren’t popular with others.
We may be rejected by friends and work and even family if we truly begin following his way.
Maybe we will face hurt and pain too. But life is full of pain and sorrow.
But the one who follows Jesus knows his peace even while he is suffering and that is the wonderful thing about a suffering servant of Jesus.
He has peace inside that allows him to get up when assaulted.
He has peace inside that allows him to lose all but still know the peace Christ promised and know that one day the sadness will be over.
No struggle lasts forever. No torment of this world is forever. But we know his love and peace can stay with us always and forever and we will have hope.
The alternative is to go through life only knowing the peace the world gives which is not peace at all and there is no hope … for all in this world is temporary.
All things decay and will one day be taken away. All relationship eventually end. The only thing that is forever and we can hold onto and rely on is the love and peace of Jesus Christ.
It makes all the difference in the world. We can live a superficial life or we can live a full life that we were created for.
Do not let our hearts be troubled. He told us.
Follow his way. Always choose his way. And his peace will sustain us and support us in whatever trials we face.
And one day the final dawn will come upon us, and we will find ourselves facing Jesus who was beside us all along, rooting for us. Sending the Holy Spirit and guardian angels and blessings to help us find our way home. Hold on to his peace.
Deacon Tony Pynes 
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