Luke 10:5-6 from the Gospel readings for Sts Timothy and Titus
Into whatever house you enter, first say,
'Peace to this household.'
If a peaceful person lives there,
your peace will rest on him;
The World Youth Day's events in Panama are wrapping this weekend. There is a vigil this evening and the large outdoor Mass Sunday. Pope Francis is there and the diocese of St Petersburg has a group there so we can follow the activities on social media and feel like we are right there with them. How wonderful that the Gospel can be spread so far and wide now with instant communication as we watch the events in Panama City! Yet today's Gospel passage reminds us that peace and spreading the Good News really begin, not in a faraway place, and not on the internet, but right here at home. Peace begins in our own houses and in our neighbor's houses, and in the restaurants we dine in, and in the car lines when we are waiting. It is easy to get caught up in the day's agenda, especially since so many of us have calendars that are quick to remind us where we should be next. How about putting the phones down sometime today or this eve and pray not only for the pilgrims who journeyed to Panama but for our own families and our communities? Peace begins with you and with me.
