November 17

LUKE 19:41-44
41 As he drew near, he saw the city and wept over it, 42 saying, If this day you only knew what
makes for peacebut now it is hidden from your eyes. 43 [a]For the days are coming upon you
when your enemies will raise a palisade against you; they will encircle you and hem you in on all
sides. 44 They will smash you to the ground and your children within you, and they will not
leave one stone upon another within you because you did not recognize the time of your
visitation.
PEACE STARTS WITH GOD
If this day you only knew what makes for peace Today's Gospel reminds me of that time
when I allowed God to visit my heart again after a long time. I can't help but ask myself now:
what if I didn't allow Him into my heart? Would I be experiencing this inner peace I have now?
Would I ever be at peace with others, especially with my family? I believe that the answers to
these questions are fruits of the steps I had made. But the key was recognizing God and letting
Him guide me along my path.
I read somewhere that peace is something everyone wants, yet few seem to find. Some would
want to have peace with God, peace with their fellowmen, and inner peace. Having peace with
God is a gift. It helps me of truly accept His amazing plans and allowing such a gift to be shared
to other people.
In the past, there were attacks to this gift in my life. Conflict among family members, failed
projects, and impatience led me to unwanted situations. My pride led me to sleepless nights. As a
result, relationships were broken. It seemed too hard to get up from the mistake I have fallen
into.
I thank the Lord for His grace. The perfect time came when I learned to trust in God again. The
bitterness was slowly replaced by peace, as I saw how God and my family were reaching out to
me. I realized that sometimes we are the cause of our own disturbances in life. Learning from my
past pains and mistakes helped me value and hold on to the peace that God has given me.
May we always realize that being right and at peace with God comes first; the rest follows.

Question: What hinders me from making peace with God?