By Msgr. Joseph Prior • Posted May 23, 2025

(See the readings for the Sixth Sunday of Easter)

A king announced that he wanted a painting that reflected the peace of his reign. He decided to have a contest in which all the artists of the land would be invited to participate. The paintings came in and there were many of them. The king narrowed them down to the top two which he displayed for two months to his people.

The first painting was that of a beautiful mountain lake, tranquil and serene. The lake sat in the mountains whose grandeur was reflected in the still waters. The sky was bright blue. Flowers of many colors outlined the lake. A family of deer grazed in the meadow.

The second painting portrayed a mountain cliff, “rugged and strong.” A few small trees grew out of the cracks in the face of the cliff and on the rocky terrain below. Dark clouds loomed overhead from which came lightning streaks. Halfway up the cliff grew a small bush. In its branches, a bird sat in a nest apparently warming her eggs.

After being on display for a few weeks, the king declared the winner. It was the second painting. The people were confused and upset because they thought the first painting was the peaceful one. The king explained, “Peace is not the absence of conflict. Peace is a state of being. Those who experience this peace have love in their hearts — even when turmoil surrounds them.”

Jesus offers us this peace. It is a gift flowing from his passion, death and resurrection. In the Gospel passage for this Sunday, we hear: “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.”

Peace is seen as a gift. While it is not something we earn, it does require something of us. We have to allow that peace, the peace of Jesus, to take hold in our lives. When we feel anxious, afraid, or stressed we might recall his serene presence within us and “tap into” his peace. Building prayer into our regular routine and daily life will help us in this regard.

Jesus brings the gift of peace himself as he dwells within us through the Spirit. He says: “Whoever loves me will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our dwelling with him.” He then promises the gift of the Spirit, the Paraclete, who will come with his gift of peace. We celebrate this gift on Pentecost (two weeks from now on June 8).

The turmoil and travesties of this world exist around us. We think of the wars that are raging presently in Gaza and Ukraine. We see the loss of innocent lives. We see the starving, homeless and destitute in media images. They raise our awareness of the reality of these situations.

As we move toward Pentecost perhaps we can intensify our prayers for peace. We may ask the Spirit to well up a desire for peace in all those involved and to motivate all the leaders to seek that peace.

The king’s contest, in the story above, highlights the very real situation that there are many forces, situations and concerns that could rob us of peace. They are always there because we live in a broken world. Yet no matter how powerful, fearsome or close these seem to be, they are not part of us nor do they define who we are; they lie on the outside. Jesus is much closer for he dwells within.

If we want peace in our lives, we do not have to look to some far away place to find it. All we need to do is to look within, and we will find it because we will find him who offers it. And Jesus will say to us again: “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Do not let your hearts be troubled or afraid.”

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Msgr. Joseph Prior is pastor of Our Lady of Grace Parish, Penndel, and a former professor of Sacred Scripture and rector of St. Charles Borromeo Seminary.