Day 9

Scripture: John 14:27 — “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you.”

Clip: Why haven’t you healed me? (Little James)

Reflection:

This is perhaps the hardest peace to accept. Jesus’s peace is not the absence of trouble; it is the presence of God within it. Little James lives with an unanswered prayer, a visible affliction, while watching others receive their miracles. His struggle is for this peace. It is a peace that coexists with the limp, a trust that must go deeper than the desire for healing. This is the peace that “guards our hearts” even when our bodies ache.

Prayer:

Jesus, Prince of Peace, I confess I want the world’s peace: the absence of pain, the answered prayer, the healed body. But I am in a “Little James” season. My question is “Why?” Grant me Your peace, the kind that surpasses understanding, the kind that can trust Your goodness even while I limp.

Practice:

When a conflict or tension arises today, pause, breathe, and say: “Jesus, give me Your peace.” Let that intention shape your response.

From the Catechism (CCC):
“Since Christ died for all, and since all men are in fact called to one and the same destiny, we ought to work for peace.” (CCC 2307)

From YOUCAT:
“Peace is more than the absence of conflict; it is deep accord with God, neighbor, and self.” (YOUCAT 232)