The Way of Ascent is Descent
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“He shall be peace” we hear in Micah 5:4, our first reading today.
We are reminded that Jesus is peace, He came to bring peace, and where peace is, He is found. True peace is the bi-product of staying in Jesus’ presence, making Him the king of our lives, and saying “yes” to His will by following the way He taught us in the Gospels.
There is no other way to peace. We can only find it by opening our minds, hearts, and lives to Jesus, modelling His life, and trusting His plan for our lives. So much of our anxieties and lack of peace stem from not doing this… following our own way, distancing ourselves from God, making idols out of things that are not Jesus, and straying from His will for our lives.
The hard truth is that much of the world lives in anxiety because they are not living in Jesus. Even we the faithful struggle with staying in Jesus' presence most of the time.
Today’s Gospel with Mary and Elizabeth paints the image of the path to peace. Two grace-filled women saying yes to God’s will and bringing Christ into the world on Mary’s part and waiting for God’s plan to come to fruition on Elizabeth’s part. Believing that the promises of the Lord will come to fulfillment. Witnessing the Holy Spirit moving in our lives. Marvelling over what the Lord has done for us. Sharing a communion of joy together. Serving one another in charity as they carry their children of God. Mary and Elizabeth teach us that peace comes from:
No wonder these women had peace! This moment in their journey to prepare the way of the Lord conveys all we need to know to receive the grace and peace they did.
May they be the example for us in our own lives for how Jesus can be our peace in an anxious world.
Katie Zalany lives in Cleveland Ohio. She is a Third Order Secular Franciscan (OFS), spiritual director, benefits/wellness leader, certified health and life coach, and volunteer. She is the creator of the ministry Women in Waiting | Made for Fruitfulness and is a published author. Her writing interests and focus areas include Gospel reflections, Franciscan spirituality, women's spirituality, prayer, and integration of faith and daily living.
