‘Peace be with you’
The first greeting Jesus had with His disciples on the same day of His resurrection, as the Gospel says: ‘In the evening of that same day, the first day of the week’, was ‘Peace be with you’. Jesus knew what the disciples were facing. Fear must have filled them, that is why they were together, the doors were closed for fear of the Jews. And Jesus repeated ‘Peace be with you’ after showing the disciples His hands and His sides.
Why ‘peace’?
Peace as we all know, is fruit of the Holy Spirit. When we feel peace in our heart, all the anxiety, worries and negative thoughts are not present. Instead, the trust in our Lord keeps us calm, knowing that at the end, it is our Father who is in control.
Today’s reading also tells us that the disciples were filled with joy when they saw the Lord. The resurrected people should have joyful hearts as we have the Lord in our hearts. Let the joy of the Lord be our strength.
Written by: Sharlyn Neo