Jesus stands amid the Apostles, offers his peace, and then further offers words of comfort with a proclamation to not let our hearts be troubled. Although not always the simplest task, God never asks for the impossible; therefore, we can be assured of the graces necessary to accomplish it.
As worries mount, so too is the tendency to feel God has forgotten us or abandoned us. Perhaps the Apostles felt that way following the death of our Lord and before he appeared with this greeting of peace. In Christ, there is always hope; we have in both the Old and New Testament the assurance to never be forsaken nor abandoned (Hebrews 13:5); recalling Jesus remains with us always, until the end of the age, to be exact ( Matthew 28:20).
It is precisely those moments when we struggle the most to see God amid our circumstances that we should rely on the gift of hindsight. Looking back to the outcomes of other hardships or trials (especially those beyond our control), carefully and prayerfully recognize all the graces bestowed. The situation possibly didn’t resolve as wished, yet there is a discernable peace associated with that time and some greater good that comes from it.
Like the Apostles between the Resurrection and Pentecost, we too may see our peace disturbed, or doubts creep in when we don’t know the path to the place Jesus has for us. It is human nature to want all the details, and we want them before we act. That is not the trust to which Jesus calls us. The road may seem confusing or beyond our reach. The promises, while trustworthy, may feel for someone else and not for someone so filled with doubt, sin, or fear. Remember, out of great love for us, while we were still sinners, God sent his only Son to die for our redemption (Romans 5:8).
Jesus is truly the Way, the Truth, and the Life, and we don’t have to search far to find He is always with us. He journeys alongside our darkness and our joy. He is the embodiment of the unseen God; if we have seen him, then we have seen the Father. We don’t need to search far to find signs and wonders of a God; we can witness his almighty love in a sunrise, the sweet smile of a child, and the peace which comes in prayer. And most notably, in the Eucharist, “The disciples of Jesus recounted what had taken place along the way, and how they had come to recognize him in the breaking of bread” (Luke 24:35). Amen, this is where hope prevails amid the most challenging and uncertain times in Christ, always by our side.
Allison Gingras is a Deacon’s wife and seasoned mom of three. Allison works for Family Rosary as a social media and digital specialist, as well as a new media consultant for Catholic Mom and the Diocese of Fall River. She is the author of Encountering Signs of Faith: My Unexpected Journey with Sacramentals, the Saints, and the Abundant Grace of God (Fall 2022, Ave Maria Press). Allison developed the Stay Connected Journals for Women series including her two volumes – The Gift of Invitation and Seeking Peace (OSV). She’s hosted A Seeking Heart with Allison Gingras podcast since 2015.
Feature Image Credit: Luis Felipe Tun, https://www.cathopic.com/photo/15132-su-amor-llega-mas-lejos
The views and opinions expressed in the Inspiration Daily blog are solely those of the original authors and contributors. These views and opinions do not necessarily represent those of Diocesan, the Diocesan staff, or other contributors to this blog.
Kate Taliaferro is an Air Force wife and mother. She is blessed to be able to homeschool, bake bread and fold endless piles of laundry. When not planning a school day, writing a blog post or cooking pasta, Kate can be found curled up with a book or working with some kind of fiber craft. Kate blogs at 
Mike Karpus is a regular guy. He grew up in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, graduated from Michigan State University and works as an editor. He is married to a Catholic school principal, raised two daughters who became Catholic school teachers at points in their careers, and now relishes his two grandchildren, including the 3-year-old who teaches him what the colors of Father’s chasubles mean. He has served on a Catholic School board, a pastoral council and a parish stewardship committee. He currently is a lector at Mass, a Knight of Columbus, Adult Faith Formation Committee member and a board member of the local Habitat for Humanity organization. But mostly he’s a regular guy.
Kathryn James Hermes, FSP, is the author of the newly released title
Kathryn Mulderink, MA, is married to Robert, Station Manager for Holy Family Radio. Together they have seven children (including Father Rob), and four grandchildren. She is President of the local community of Secular Discalced Carmelites and has published five books and many articles. Over the last 30 years, she has worked as a teacher, headmistress, catechist, Pastoral Associate, and DRE, and as a writer and voice talent for Catholic Radio. Currently, she serves the Church by writing and speaking, and by collaborating with various parishes and to lead others to encounter Christ and engage their faith. Her website is 
Christine Hanus is a thwarted idealist who, nevertheless, lives quite happily in Upstate NY. She is a wife and mother of five grown children.
Susan Ciancio has a BA in psychology and a BA in sociology from the University of Notre Dame, with an MA in liberal studies from Indiana University. For the past 17 years, she has worked as a professional editor and writer, editing both fiction and nonfiction books, magazine articles, blogs, educational lessons, professional materials and website content. Eleven of those years have been in the pro-life sector. Currently Susan freelances and writes weekly for HLI, edits for American Life League, and is the editor of Celebrate Life Magazine. She also serves as executive editor for the Culture of Life Studies Program-an educational nonprofit program for K-12 students.
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