Our reflection for the Second Sunday of Easter (Divine Mercy Sunday) is from Living Faith: Daily Catholic Devotions, written by Elizabeth Duffy.

Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.” And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit.” — John 20:21-22

The disciples were hiding in a locked room when Jesus approached them, bearing the wounds of His crucifixion and offering His greeting of peace. He then sent them to be forces of reconciliation in the world. He breathed the Holy Spirit upon them, so whose sins they forgive are forgiven.

What does it mean to me, as a disciple of Jesus, that He would come to me in the midst of my anxiety and fear, breathing peace? He says to go out from the locked room — wherever I hide from problems and discord — and make peace.

Peacemaking is a dance of relationship. It is conversation leading toward understanding. It is both an offering and a receiving of Jesus’ peace. Not everyone wants to be moved in this way. Sometimes I become impatient with it too.

Jesus, breathe with me in this movement of reconciliation.

Duffy is a regular contributor to Living Faith and to Image Journal’s Good Letters Blog. Her essays have been published by Our Sunday Visitor, On Faith (at Faithstreet.com/onfaith) The Catholic Educator, Image Journal, Mind and Spirit, and Aleteia. She has written a column and blog for Patheos.com and her personal blog is bettyduffy.blogspot.com/. Living Faith provides brief daily Catholic devotions based on one of the Mass readings of the day.

THOUGHT TO REMEMBER: Our passions are the winds that propel our vessel. Our reason is the pilot that steers her. Without winds the vessel would not move and without a pilot she would be lost. – Proverb