“Into whatever house you enter, first say, 'Peace to this household.' If a peaceful person lives there, your Peace will rest on him; but if not, it will return to you.” Lk 10: 5-6
Friends, God is good, all the time.
St. Theresa is purported to have said, "Our Lord does not look so much at the greatness of our actions, nor even at their difficulty, but at the love with which we do them." This statement's veracity would later inspire one of the most outstanding saints of our era, Mother Theresa of Calcutta, to win the heart of the world through her little daily acts of love to the poor people in the slums of Calcutta.
Theresa taught us to believe that even a modest, mundane act like "to pick up a pin for love can convert a soul." So, it makes every sense that in the gospel, when Jesus sent the seventy-two disciples to go and convert souls, he encouraged them to go and give nothing but Peace. Peace, like love is an effective weapon in our day and time to win souls and friends. Does not scripture call the savior of the world, the prince of peace?
Again, Jesus cautioned the disciples against those who are opposed to peace. He told the disciples, "Into whatever house you enter, first say, 'Peace to this household.' If a peaceful person lives there, your peace will rest on him; but if not, it will return to you."
The same urgent message of peace inspired Pope Francis to write, "Peace is a great and precious value, the object of our hope and the aspiration of the entire human family...here we can find inspiration in the love that God has for each of us: a love that is liberating, limitless, gratuitous, and tireless."
Both St. Theresa and Mother Theresa used little acts of love as weapon to convert people and defeat the world's hate and meanness. Jesus had earlier asked us to use both peace and love for the same end. And you see, little acts of love and peace have monumental effect on the human heart and soul. And they are so integrated that we can’t offer one without the other. They are also both acts beyond the self. We receive them only when we give them to others.
Paul says love is patient, kind; it does not envy; it does not boast; it is not proud. It is not rude; it is not self-seeking; it is not easily angered; it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, still hope anyway perseveres. Love never fails. (1 Cor 13:4-8). It behooves all of us to carry within us love and peace and make our little acts of love lead us towards peace and prosperity.
Prayer blessings: Father, we entreat you to enlighten our minds and consciences to align themselves to peace and love, which are your nature and the urgent needs of the world. Amen.