I was listening to a podcast just the other day about what makes people really, truly happy. And ultimately, the speaker said this:

Happy people are people who are at peace… 

They are at peace in 3 ways: 1) with themselves, 2) with other people and 3) with God.

If you want to be happy, you need to be at true peace with all three…

First — We need to be at peace with ourselves… meaning, we are comfortable in our own skin. We know who we are, who God made us to be, and we receive that — we rejoice in that, rather than trying to be somebody we’re not!

Second — We need to be at peace with others… meaning, we are free from bitterness, lack of forgiveness, judgmentalism, backbiting, and envy…  When we’re not caught up in that exhausting pattern of self-centered competition and comparison. It’s when we choose instead to be generous, understanding, honest, and loving towards the people in our lives. When we are patient, but sincere… when we don’t automatically expect the worst of people. When we look to serve, rather than to be served.

And finally — but most importantly — We need to be at peace with the Lord. This is when we have a deep, abiding relationship of trust with Him. When we aren’t at odds with His plans. When we have come into agreement with the Truth of His Will. When we are holding nothing back from Him, when we’ve confessed all our sins, and have been totally and freely forgiven by Him. It’s what Dante once wrote about in his Divine Comedy when he said: “In His will… is our peace.”

This is what makes us happy.

Not stuff. Not money. Not anything else… but this deep, threefold peace: Interior peace with ourselves. External peace with our neighbor. And above all — That amazing, supernatural soul peace with the Lord God Himself.

Without peace… we’re hopeless. We’re sad. And we are totally unhappy.

It should come as no surprise to any of us that sin absolutely wrecks this peace at all three levels.

Whenever we choose to sin, we become internally conflicted — divided within ourselves — We lose peace with ourselves! We can become filled with shame, self-hatred, and discouragement…

When we sin, we break relationships with our neighbors — How familiar we all are with the whole sad history of grudges,  suspicion, distrust, hatred, violence, lust, etc. All this absolutely ruins our ability to be with family, friends, coworkers, and just about everybody else.

And most seriously… (and most tragically) … when we sin, we are separated from the God who created us and loves us. Our souls are disconnected from the life of grace through mortal sin. Our ultimate joy, hope, and meaning… dies inside of us!

Think about all your regrets, your worst mistakes… all the ways you haven’t measured up. All the ways you have hurt people throughout your life — all the ways others have hurt you and broken relationship with you — Think about the times you know God was inviting you to step out in faith, to do the right thing… but you chose a different path. Those habits that drive you to the brink of despair…

All of that garbage undermines and absolutely destroys our peace, doesn’t it?

This is what sin does to us.

It breaks, smashes, destroys, and prevents us from experiencing… peace.

But here’s the good news, and this comes directly from our second reading this weekend:

“Brothers and sisters: In Christ Jesus you who once were far off have become near by the blood of Christ. For he is our peace.”

He is our peace! — Jesus is our peace!

Jesus IS the peace we all long for. …Which is another way of saying: He is the happiness we all seek!

Jesus is peace with ourselves.

Jesus is peace with others.

And Jesus is our peace with God.

Let’s pray that together: “Jesus, You are my peace.”

“Jesus, You are the peace that this entire world longs for.”

“Jesus, I declare that Your Cross can and does heal my relationship with God, with my neighbor and with myself.”

Jesus Christ is the only One who can reestablish the peace we lost through sinning, because He’s the only one who in Himself lives out deep, unshakeable peace perfectly. He’s like us in all things — but without sin. Unlike us, He never destroyed His peace with God, with neighbor, or with himself… He’s the spotless Lamb! He is without blemish! …He’s ALWAYS at perfect peace!

In fact, if you can say ANYTHING causes Jesus to lose His peace, it’s actually when we lack peace. It’s when He sees our turmoil and distress. This is what troubles and moves His heart the most…

Think about our gospel passage we just heard:

Jesus’ disciples have just returned from their mission trip. They have been busy preaching the Kingdom, driving out demons, and healing the sick. And now he says to them: “Hey, I think it’s time to go on a little retreat. It’s time to pause, and recollect yourselves… Don’t get burnt out! Come away by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while.” 

But, as we heard, the crowds find out where they are headed and they follow them there.

How does Jesus react?

Is he upset? Is he bothered by the fact that these folks have located their hiding spot and are now disturbing their silent retreat?

No…

We hear that “his heart is moved with pity for them, for they were like sheep without a shepherd.”

His heart is moved with pity — because they are without peace! 

They had been neglected and tossed aside — used and abused by their leaders. As our first reading from the prophet Jeremiah put it: “Woe to the shepherds who mislead and scatter the flock of my pasture, says the LORD… You have scattered my sheep and driven them away.  You have not cared for them!” They have no peace!!! 

I wonder what Jesus sees when He looks at our poor world today?

Does He see peace?

More often than not, no…

He sees a lot of hatred and violence.

He sees missiles aimed menacingly at one another.

He hears a lot of angry rhetoric.

He sees a whole lot of division between left and right, liberal and conservative, Trump and Biden.

He sees so much self-seeking and power-grabbing.

So much self-justification and rejection of what is holy.

So much ideology, divorced from reality.

So much control and manipulation.

So much brokenness in families.

So much anxiety and fear. 

So much confusion about what is Good, True and Beautiful…

I am sure that Jesus looks at the crowds of people living on this planet today — He looks at us — and again: His heart cannot help but be moved with profound pity…

“And he began to teach them many things,” we read.

It’s as if he’s saying: “Father, they have no peace. I want them to have MY peace… I want to form them, shape them, and teach them so they can have my peace dwelling in their souls.”

And that’s exactly what Jesus is offering us:

“Give them MY peace. I want to BE their daily bread and their daily peace. They are so restless and upset. They are so stressed, divided, angry, and wayward. But I will be their peace. Father, give them my peace.”

Jesus wants you to have that… starting even now!

So… if you know you’re not at peace with God right now — Then go to confession as soon as possible! Receive the sacrament of reconciliation and get right with the Lord and His Church!

If you know you’re not at peace with yourself — Go home and pray! Make sure you take time to come before Jesus and ask Him: “Who am I? What do I need to work on, Lord? What do I need to let go of? How can I be more like Jesus? More like the saint You created me to be?”

If you know you’re not at peace with others — then do what you can to repair and heal those relationships. Sometimes, that is obviously not going to be possible this side of heaven… but at the very least, we are obligated to forgive those who have trespassed against us. Please don’t wait until your deathbed to come to peace with people who have hurt you, or who you have hurt.

Jesus can and will give you peace starting now. 

We hear this in the liturgy every time we approach the Eucharist: “Peace I leave you, my peace I give you…”

It’s the first word out of His mouth after being raised from the dead:

Peace be with you.

Shalom…

So, as you come forward to receive Jesus Christ in the Eucharist in just a few short minutes, consider that incredible truth: The Eucharist IS peace! 

The Eucharist is our peace because the Eucharist is Jesus.

It is the peace that the world cannot give! Peace with God… with neighbor and with ourselves… What an unthinkable mystery! What a merciful gift! What an urgent demand!

I don’t know if you’ve been keeping up with the Eucharistic Congress that has been taking place in Indianapolis over the past week. 

Right now close to 60,000 people are gathered together in Lucas Oil Stadium — and they are all focused on and centered on the Real Presence of Jesus Christ, exposed in the Monstrance.

They are all looking at Peace Himself.

What a beautiful and historic event!

But you don’t need to wait for a Eucharistic Congress to experience that.

Because Jesus is right here.

Jesus, in THIS Tabernacle right here — is your peace.

Jesus, in the tiny little Host that you will receive TODAY — is your peace.

We are not sheep without a shepherd. 

We have a very, VERY good Shepherd.

…Beside restful waters he leads us— restful, peaceful waters. He refreshes our soul. And even though we walk through the darkest valley, we will fear no evil, for He is with us.

With us always… here in the Tabernacle… until the end of the age.