St. Pius X Roman Catholic Parish

Sixth Sunday of Easter

The world is hungry for a reason to hope. People are starving for the truth. The greatest disturber of our internal peace is that we mistakenly believe that our purpose in life is fully found in some thing or some tasks here on earth, forgetting that we have a purpose beyond here. I’d tell you what that is- you likely know what it is anyway or at least have heard it- but finding it yourself has greater rewards. But the greatest rewards come when we not only find it, but we make it our own. My real concern is, if I asked you to go and find your greatest purpose, would you know where to look?

Saint Peter knew where to look. “In your hearts sanctify Christ as Lord.” When Christ is truly Lord of the heart, everything else begins to fall into place. Our work, our suffering, our joys, and even our unanswered questions are no longer scattered pieces without meaning. They are gathered into something greater. Saint Peter points us inward to direct us to the One who dwells within by grace. It is there, in the quiet sanctuary of the heart, that we begin to understand who we are, why we are here, and where we are meant to go.
Because many of us feel like our lives are broken into scattered pieces. One part of us is anxious about the future, another burdened by the past, and another exhausted by the demands of the present. We live fragmented lives, and so we struggle to hear the deeper call of God. Sometimes at the end of Mass, I feel like saying “Go in pieces” because that’s how most of us are. We try to gather those pieces ourselves, sometimes pulling them right out of the hands of the Lord who wants to
help us put them together again. Christ heals and unifies the heart by dwelling within it as Lord. He
enters not only our strengths, but our wounds, our contradictions, and our unrest. Where sin has divided us, He reconciles. Where fear has scattered us, He gathers. Where noise has filled the soul, He speaks His peace. And as His grace slowly reorders the inner life, the heart begins to recover its wholeness, because it is no longer ruled by a hundred competing forces, but by one Lord who makes all things one in Himself.
We have great reason to hope that He will come to us: He told us in the Gospel He was. It’s a strange paradox: He talks about leaving yet promises: “I’m coming to you.” He is speaking of a deeper presence. He comes to them in the Holy Spirit. He comes to dwell within them. He comes
not only to be seen with the eyes vaguely, but to be known in the heart deeply, obeyed in love, and received in faith. The Holy Spirit makes the presence of Christ living and active within us.
And this is why so many people live without hope, even while surrounded by comforts, distractions, and constant noise. The hunger of the human heart is deeper than success, pleasure, or busyness can satisfy. We hunger for truth, for meaning, for love that does not fail, and for a peace the world cannot give us. But when we look for those things everywhere except in God, the heart grows more restless, not less. Beneath ouranxieties and distractions there is a deeper hunger: a hunger not only for
comfort, but for meaning; not only for relief, but for truth; not for escape, but for peace.
But all of this starts within, not without. That is why Saint Peter does not first direct us outward to a program, a task, or a strategy. He directs us inward: “In your hearts sanctify Christ as Lord.” If Christ is not Lord there, then nothing outside of us will ever be enough to fill the gap. No success can quiet the soul, no possession can satisfy its hunger, and no distraction can give lasting peace. But when Christ is enthroned within, the heart begins to recover its order, and with that order comes the beginning of
peace. Where we find Christ, we find joy. We find the deeper joy of knowing we are not alone, not abandoned, and not without purpose. Good luck finding that at Walmart or even Amazon, at the hockey rink, the bingo hall, or even on your own couch in front of the TV. There are good things that
come out of these places, but it’s nowhere near the fullness our soul is truly seeking.
Today, if you are starving for hope, for purpose, or for meaning, let us ask the Lord for grace to stop looking for Him everywhere else except inside our hearts. Joy is not supposed to be something we must chase, but something we receive. The post office box God has for our deliveries of joy is in the heart. Once we find Him within us, then and only then will we no longer be sent out in pieces. Instead, we will go forth whole, because we go forth with Him.