Welcome to today’s reflection on our shared journey of faith. It is Tuesday, May 5, 2026, and as we navigate the rhythms of our daily lives, the Church hands us two powerful scriptural passages that speak directly to the heart of what it means to be a missionary disciple in a complicated world. Whether you are a student, a professional, a parent, or someone discerning a deeper call to service, the lessons from today’s readings, Acts 14:19-28 and John 14:27-31a, provide a roadmap for finding peace when the "trail" gets rocky.
Life often feels like a long-distance trek. There are moments of breathtaking views and easy downhill stretches, but there are also steep climbs, unexpected storms, and times when we simply want to set down our packs and quit. Today, we look at the life of St. Paul and the promises of Jesus to understand how we can keep moving forward with a heart full of peace.
Getting Back Up: The Resilience of St. Paul
Today’s first reading from the Acts of the Apostles contains one of the most dramatic and gritty scenes in the New Testament. To set the stage: Paul and Barnabas have been traveling through Asia Minor, preaching the Good News. They arrive in Lystra, where things take a violent turn. Some people from Antioch and Iconium arrive, stir up the crowds, and they stone Paul.
The text says they "dragged him out of the city, supposing that he was dead." This wasn't just a minor scuffle. This was an execution attempt. Paul was beaten, bruised, and left for dead in the dirt outside the city gates.
But then, something incredible happens. As the disciples gathered around him, Paul got up and went back into the city.
Think about that for a moment. If most of us were attacked and left for dead in a specific town, our first instinct would be to run as far away from that place as possible. We might seek a vacation, a long period of recovery, or at the very least, a change of career. But Paul gets right back up. He doesn't just survive; he continues. The very next day, he and Barnabas leave for Derbe to keep preaching.
This is a vivid reminder for all of us that the mission of God doesn’t stop just because things get hard. In our own lives, "stoning" might look like a failed project, a stinging rejection, a health crisis, or a period of deep spiritual dryness. The temptation is to stay down, to let the discouragement define us. But perseverance is a hallmark of the Holy Spirit.
Paul’s resilience wasn't based on his own physical strength; it was fueled by the conviction that the message of Christ was more important than his own comfort. He shows us that when we fall, the grace of God is there to help us stand back up, dust ourselves off, and walk into the next city.
Opening the Door of Faith: Fruit Over Friction
After their grueling journey, Paul and Barnabas eventually make their way back to Antioch, their home base. This was their moment to "report" to the community that had sent them out.
If we were in their shoes, we might have spent the entire meeting talking about the hardships. We might have shown off our scars, complained about the lack of hospitality, and detailed every person who had opposed us. We would have focused on the friction.
However, the Bible tells us that when they arrived, they "reported what God had done with them and how he had opened the door of faith to the Gentiles."
They focused on the fruit, not the friction.
There is a profound lesson here for our own "mission trails." In our families, our workplaces, and our parishes, it is so easy to become obsessed with the obstacles. We talk about how hard the "soil" is, how few people are listening, or how much work we have to do. But Paul and Barnabas teach us to look for the "door of faith."
Even in Lystra, where Paul was stoned, a community of disciples was formed. Even in the midst of persecution, the Gospel took root. When we shift our focus from our own suffering to God’s activity, our perspective changes. We begin to see that God is always opening doors, even in the places where we felt most defeated.
Are you looking at the stones on the ground, or are you looking for the door God is opening?
Peace is a Gift, Not a Circumstance
While the first reading shows us the external struggle of the mission, today’s Gospel from John gives us the internal anchor. Jesus tells His disciples, and He tells us, "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you."
But then He adds a very important distinction: "Not as the world gives do I give it to you."
What does the world’s peace look like? The world thinks peace is the absence of trouble. The world says you will have peace when the bills are paid, when your health is perfect, when everyone likes you, and when there are no wars or conflicts. In other words, the world defines peace as a set of perfect circumstances.
The problem with "worldly peace" is that it is incredibly fragile. If it depends on circumstances, it can be taken away in a heartbeat.
Jesus offers a different kind of peace. The peace of Christ is the presence of God inside the trouble. It is the stillness in the heart of the storm. It is the quiet confidence that, regardless of what is happening on the "mission trail," we are held by a Love that will not let us go.
Jesus spoke these words to the Apostles just before His own Passion. He was about to face betrayal, mockery, and the cross. He wasn't promising them an easy life; He was promising them a steady heart. "Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid," He said.
When we have the peace of Christ, we can be like Paul outside the gates of Lystra. We can be hurt, we can be tired, and we can be facing opposition, but we are not "troubled" in our souls because our peace is anchored in something eternal, not something circumstantial.
The Connection: The Society of St. Peter the Apostle (SPA)
This spirit of perseverance and supernatural peace is exactly what we see every day in the work of the Society of St. Peter the Apostle (SPA).
As part of the Pontifical Mission Societies, the SPA focuses on supporting the formation of local seminarians and religious brothers and sisters in mission lands. These men and women are the modern-day Pauls and Barnabases. They are often from the very communities they serve, and they frequently live and study in incredibly challenging conditions.
In many parts of the world, a young man entering the seminary isn't just choosing a career path; he is often choosing a life of material poverty and, in some cases, actual physical danger. Like Paul, our seminarians in mission territories might face political instability, persecution, or extreme economic hardship. Yet, they get back up every day to study, to pray, and to prepare themselves to serve their people.
When you support the SPA, you are doing exactly what the community in Antioch did for Paul and Barnabas. You are providing the resources and the spiritual backing that allow these future priests and religious to "open the door of faith" in their own home countries.
Your generosity provides them with the "peace" of knowing they are not alone. It gives them the tools to go back to their people, just as Paul returned to Lystra and Iconium, to strengthen the disciples and build up the Church. By supporting local clergy, you are ensuring that the peace of Christ is preached in every corner of the globe, regardless of the "friction" of the world.
Reflection: Your Own Mission Trail
As we reflect on these lessons today, I want to invite you to take a moment of silence. Consider these questions:
- The Fallen Moments: Is there a place in your life where you have "fallen" or been "stoned" by disappointment? How can you ask the Holy Spirit for the strength to "get back up" today?
- The Open Door: Is there a "door" in your life that feels closed right now? Instead of focusing on the barrier, can you ask God to show you where He is opening a door of faith, even if it’s just a crack?
- The Gift of Peace: Are you trying to find peace through your circumstances, or are you ready to accept the gift of Jesus’ peace that exists inside the struggle?
- A Prayer for the Mission: Can you offer a prayer today for a seminarian or a religious sister in a mission land who might be struggling to persevere? Your spiritual solidarity is a powerful source of strength for them.
Conclusion: Walking Together
The mission trail is rarely a straight or easy path. It winds through valleys of shadow and over difficult peaks. But as today’s readings remind us, we do not walk it alone.
We walk with the courage of Paul, who showed us that we can always get back up.
We walk with the vision of Barnabas, who showed us how to look for God’s fruit.
And most importantly, we walk with the Peace of Jesus, which the world cannot give and the world cannot take away.
"Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid." We are in good hands!
Thank you for walking this mission trail with us at the Pontifical Mission Societies. Your prayers and your support for the Society of St. Peter the Apostle make it possible for the Gospel to reach the ends of the earth. Please keep our students and seminarians in your prayers today as they persevere for the sake of the Kingdom.
God bless you on your journey.