Today’s Gospel is from John 14:
27-31. As I was meditating on this
Gospel, the word bequeath took my attention.
What is bequeath I wondered?
“Peace, I bequeath you; my peace I give
to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be
troubled, and do not let them be afraid.”
The word “bequeath” — is sometimes used
in older or more formal translations in place of “leave.” The Greek verb here
is ἀφίημι (aphiēmi), which means to send away, leave, release, or let go.
In this context, it conveys "leaving behind" as a legacy or
inheritance, which is why “bequeath” fits so beautifully.
Teasing out bequeath:
- Legal
and Lasting: “Bequeath” is a term often used in a will. It suggests that
Jesus is intentionally leaving something behind for His disciples — not
accidentally, but as a deliberate gift in view of His departure. His peace
is part of their inheritance as His followers.
- Irrevocable:
What is bequeathed is not taken back. It becomes the possession of the
recipient. So, Christ’s peace isn't momentary — it remains with them, even
after He ascends.
- Personal
and Intimate: Unlike the world’s transient or conditional peace (which can
be broken or disturbed), Christ’s peace is relational — grounded in His
union with the Father and extended to His followers.
- A Peace
Unlike the World’s: Jesus contrasts His gift with the way the world gives
— often selectively, manipulatively, or temporarily. His bequeathed peace
is eternal, sustaining, and rooted in divine love.
Then
I wondered: What does it mean that Jesus bequeaths me His peace — not just for
a moment of comfort, but as an enduring inheritance? At every Mass, just before
Communion, we hear words that echo John 14:27 directly:
“Peace I leave you, my peace I give
you…”
This is spoken by the priest in the Rite
of Peace, right after the Lord’s Prayer and before the Lamb of God:
“Lord
Jesus Christ, who said to your Apostles: Peace I leave you, my peace I give
you, look not on our sins but on the faith of your Church…”
This
moment is not just a remembrance of something Jesus once said — it’s a present
and active bequeathing. In the context of the liturgy, Christ Himself is
bestowing His peace anew — not symbolically, but sacramentally, as part
of His gift of Himself in the Eucharist.
So
yes, every day at Mass:
- The
bequeathing of peace is re-presented.
- The
words of John 14:27 are liturgically embodied.
- This
peace is not just a polite greeting — it's a preparation for communion
with Christ, as He comes to dwell in us.
Liturgical
Contingency
This
means His peace is:
- Tied to
the mystery of His Passion (which He was about to undergo when He first
spoke those words),
- Given in
the context of His self-offering (the Eucharist),
- Meant to
dwell in us, transforming us into peacemakers and bearers of His legacy.
Jesus
offers us His peace — not as possession, but as participation. At the Sign of
Peace, we do not just exchange a gesture, rather we pass on what we have
received, sacrificing self to extend His peace to the very people He died to
reconcile.
It
is Eucharistic: It is
·
peace
broken and shared,
·
offered
in love,
·
not
held for self.
That
moment of the Sign of Peace can seem so small, even routine.
However, when seen through the lens of John 14:27 and the Eucharist,
it becomes a sacred relay of grace. Christ bequeaths His peace, and we become
the stewards who carry it outward ,not just in words, but in lives offered
for others.
After
the Resurrection, Jesus greets His disciples with:
“Peace
be with you.”
This
is not just a gentle hello, rather it is a continuation and confirmation of what He
bequeathed in John 14:27.Now, risen and victorious, He seals that gift.
Consider
these moments:
- John
20:19: “Peace be
with you” — as He shows them His wounds.
- John
20:21: “Peace be
with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.”
- John
20:26 (eight days
later to Thomas and the others): again, “Peace be with you.”
Each
time, it is not just comfort. It is mission, identity, and assurance.
He
speaks peace into:
- Their
fear behind locked doors.
- Their
guilt for abandoning Him.
- Their
confusion about what comes next.
His
peace becomes resurrection-shaped — not avoidance of suffering, but the victory
through it. It is the same peace He gave in John 14…but now glorified, and
entrusted to His Church.
How
does this Peace disappear?
Jesus
gives His peace — a peace the world cannot give and cannot take away.
And yet… we do feel it slip through our fingers sometimes. People, wounds, misunderstandings,
daily irritations — they seem to disrupt or “steal” that peace.
So
what’s going on? Theologically and spiritually:
The
peace Jesus gives is not the absence of trouble — it’s His presence in
the midst of it. We are human. Our hearts are still learning to rest in Him,
still growing in trust. So our experience of that peace can falter —
even if the gift itself has not been withdrawn.
Why
it feels disrupted:
- Our
attention shifts — from Christ to circumstance.
- We try
to control outcomes rather than surrendering to God’s providence.
- We
absorb other people’s turmoil rather than remaining rooted in Christ’s
stillness.
- We
forget we are vessels, not sources — peace flows through us, not from
us.
So
how do we protect this peace — so we can infuse it at the Sign of Peace?
Here
are some ways that echo the spiritual wisdom of saints and scripture:
1.
Guard your inner chapel
“Let
not your hearts be troubled” (Jn 14:27)
This
is Jesus telling us we can choose not to let it in. It takes spiritual
training, yes, but there is a core within — a still point — where Christ
dwells. Return to it often. Make it a habit: small pauses in the day to
breathe, remember His presence, and re-anchor.
2.
Stay close to the Giver, not just the gift
Peace
is not a thing — it’s Christ Himself.
The
more we cultivate closeness to Him — through the Word, through silence, through
adoration — the more this peace becomes a climate within, not a weather
report outside.
3.
Practice the Sign of Peace before Mass
What
would it look like to prepare to share peace by actively forgiving
before we even walk in?
Think
of people or moments that have unsettled us — and consciously, interiorly say:
“I
forgive you. I hand you over to Christ.”
“I choose peace because He gave it to me.”
This
clears the way to share a genuine peace during the liturgy, not just a
gesture.
4.
Let peace be your response, not your reward
If
we only feel peace when others treat us well, we’ll always be at their mercy.
But
if peace becomes our response, our gift, our offering —
even when it costs — it becomes sacrificial, like Christ’s peace. It
becomes Eucharistic.
How do I carry the peace I’ve been given so that I can share
it, not lose it?
We
are to stay rooted in the Giver — and when it feels lost, return again.
That is discipleship.
So
my meditation on the word bequeath took me on an interesting journey. Yes. All in one word: bequeath.
Not
just “give” — but entrust.
Not just “offer” — but make you a steward.
A lasting gift, given with love,
to hold, to guard, to live from, and to pass on.
All
the mystery of Christ’s peace,
all the cost of the Cross,
all the strength of the Resurrection —
bequeathed to you.
Not
earned. Not borrowed.
Yours.
By His will, sealed in love.
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