Power

to Change

A Four-Week
Homily Series
Preparing for
Pentecost

Week 2 - The Fruit of the Spirit is Peace

I Wish I Was More Peaceful
As we saw last week, the fruits of the Holy Spirit are the result of the work that God does
within our hearts, minds, and souls. This week, we hear Jesus speak about the fruit of peace:
Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. (John 14:27)
The Lord wants us to have His Peace! The peace that He gives is unshakable. It is a deep, spiritual peace that is
present even when other things seem to be falling apart. We first need to be convinced that the Lord Jesus
desires this peace for us, and is able to give it to us.

Action: Spend several minutes today praying and repeating the verse above so that it begins to stick in your
mind and heart. Imagine Jesus standing before you, filled with love for you, saying these words with
outstretched hands. Ask Him to help you receive the peace that only He can give.


There may be a part of us that doubts that the Lord desires to give us peace, or that He
Monday actually has the power to give us real peace, especially in the midst of difficulty. Consider
these other verses that show the Lords desire for us:
Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and
learn from me, for I am gentle and humble of heart, and you will find rest for yourselves. For my yoke is
easy, and my burden light. (Matthew 11:28)

I have told you this so that you might have peace in me. In the world, you will have trouble, but take
courage, I have overcome the world. (John 16:33)

Action: Spend some time today with these Scripture passage, again picturing Jesus with outstretched arms
saying these things to you. Ask the Holy Spirit to convince you in your heart that His offer of peace is
trustworthy, and to heal you of the fears that He will not fulfill His promise of peace.


Another great cause for lack of peace is unrepented sin. If there are sins weve committed
Tuesday that we refuse to acknowledge as sins, or if there are sins that we refuse to give up, it
causes disturbance to our whole soul. The deepest peace comes from real repentance, the decision to give up
sin and the acceptance of Gods mercy. When we are at peace with God - trusting His mercy, following His
way, and repenting when we dont - we have a peace that the world cannot take away.
Let us approach Jesus with a sincere heart and in absolute trust, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an
evil conscience. (Hebrews 10:22)

Sunday

Action: Examine your conscience, asking the Lord to reveal any sin that is holding you back from true peace.
Ask the Holy Spirit for the grace to overcome that sin, trust in His mercy, and receive it in the Sacrament of
Reconciliation.


A lot of times, when we think of peace, we are thinking of it only in an earthly way.
Wednesday We say things like, every one of my plans must go perfectly, there cannot be any
misunderstanding or discord in any relationship, and everyone around me needs to affirm me completely, or
I wont have peace with them. When we define peace in these ways, than we will never have peace. There is
a heavenly peace, though, that only the Lord can give peace with God that can be there even if our plans
dont work out like we want or if there is difficulty in our relationships:
Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give it to you (John 14:27)
Action: Spend some time today with this verse from Scripture. Ask the Lord to show you the peace He gives,
even during difficult times.


One of the reasons many of us dont have peace is the amount of burdens, worries, and
Thursday priorities we are carrying in our hearts. How many times have we had that great
experience of sharing a burden with a friend, and afterwards thinking, how good to get that off my
shoulders, or its good to know Im not alone in this. If we can experience this with our friends, how much
greater than with the Lord?
Have no anxiety at all, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, make your requests
known to God. Then the peace of God that surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in
Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:6-7)
Cast all your worries upon Him because He cares for you. (1 Peter 5:7)
Action: Spend some time reading these passages, and think about the things burdening your heart. Then, take
some time asking Gods powerful help on each of these things, trying to trust more and more that He has the
power to help you.


One of the greatest causes for lack of peace is resentment, and one of the greatest ways to
Friday real spiritual peace is forgiveness. Look at what the Lord says about mercy:
Then Peter, approaching Jesus, asked him, Lord, if my brother sins against me, how often must I forgive
him? As many as seven times? Jesus answered, I say to you, not seven times but seventy-seven times.
(Matthew 18:21-22)

Forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against usIf you forgive others their
transgressions, your heavenly Father will forgive your transgressions. (Matthew 6:12,14-15)
Action: Pray about those you need to forgive, and take some time asking the Lord for His help in doing so.


Action: Read and reflect on Psalm 23. The Lord is an all-powerful, all-merciful God who
Saturday wants to give us true peace. Ask the Good Shepherd to give you the peace that only He
can give.