“Peace be with you.” This is the greeting most used by Jesus after his Resurrection. It is also the greeting to us from the newly elected Pope Leo XIV. Pope Leo continues his greeting:
“This is the peace of the Risen Christ: a disarmed peace, a disarming peace, humble and persevering, it comes from God, God who loves us all unconditionally.”
We can focus on peace, a disarmed and disarming peace, only when we allow ourselves to accept that we are all loved unconditionally. So, this means not only am I personally loved unconditionally but so is everyone. This is a larger challenge than one might think. It means that each of us even those people we don’t like or disagree with, are loved and worthy of being loved. There is no specific path or answer to this challenge, but it is something each of us must ponder.
Pope Leo uses the path of the missionary to give some idea of how this might be pursued. Missionaries go out of their normal comfort zone to try to bring peace, well-being and comfort to others. Missionaries do not force a new idea on others but learn what is needed within the culture of the people they encounter. Missionaries walk with others to encourage well-being and health. As Pope Leo begins his missionary journey as Pope let us pray for him and ponder where we are on our own missionary journey.
Come Join Us at The Catholic Community Brunch – June 1 at 9:15 a.m.
Foothill Community Center
$22 per person charged to house number
To register, email Marie Colaizzi at mpcolaizzi@gmail.com or call Dianne Chaisson at 209-743-9795
