“Peace I Leave With You”

Scenic view of nature amid majestic mountains.

In this Sunday’s Gospel, Jesus offers a profound promise: that those who love him will keep his word, and in return, God will make a home with them. It’s a gentle, powerful image—God not as a distant ruler, but as a guest who moves in, who shares our space, who transforms us from within. In an era where so many voices are shouting, dividing, and isolating, Jesus’ words whisper a different kind of presence: one that lives in love, not fear; one that builds bridges, not walls. The peace he leaves with us isn’t loud or performative—it’s deeper, quieter, and enduring. It’s not the kind of peace the world gives. It’s the kind that restores.

Jesus speaks into a world filled with anxiety, tension, and uncertainty. “Do not let your hearts be troubled,” he says—not because there is nothing to worry about, but because we are not alone. In a time when misinformation and cruelty often masquerade as strength, Jesus reminds us that God’s strength is found in compassion and truth. His way doesn’t demand power over others, but love for others. This is a call to a different kind of living—a kind of resistance rooted in mercy, in clarity, in quiet courage. The Advocate, the Holy Spirit, comes to teach us this way again and again. And thank God for that, because we need that reminder every single day.

And so we ask: What does this mean for us—right here in La Crosse, in the year we are living? It means we have the choice, each day, to live as people of peace. Not passivity, but peace—anchored in Jesus’ words, led by the Spirit, aware of the needs and dignity of our neighbors, both near and far. It means choosing presence over panic, empathy over suspicion, truth over easy comfort. In this world, we are not just individuals—we are caretakers of one another, stewards of creation, and living homes for God’s love. May that love shape how we speak, how we serve, and how we show up in this beautiful, often hurting world. Amen.