“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you.” ~ John 14: 27
The other day I forgot to pray, and it was the first time in a long time I’ve felt real peace.
I usually begin my day with a not-so-still, not-so-quiet prayer time. Typically, praying happens on the cardio equipment residing in my unused “formal” dining room, where my feet can move in cadence with the anxious thoughts racing through my head. For the last several months, my family has faced a big move, small business challenges, homeschool adjustments, a special needs kiddo with a packed schedule, and a million other details. I’ve spent my hours pleading the Litany of Trust, pouring through Mary Undoer of Knots, and spiritually pounding my fists over the resolutions I don’t see.
But then, I simply forgot to plead.
I didn’t even notice it at first, but the weight had shifted.
Instead of pouring out my bucket of worries and woes, I was empty. I read through the Litany of Trust again, and as it moved from a “Deliver me” supplication to the “Jesus, I trust in You” statement, I realized my heart had also transitioned from a place of seeking and striving into a simple acknowledgment and a singular trust. At that moment, I didn’t even think about my list anymore. I had dropped it without knowing it. Instead, my heart, mind, and arms gaped open to be emptied of my own agenda and filled with the reminder that I am a child of the Prince of Peace, an offspring of God’s sacred promises, and a mom whose worries and wounds are no match for His richness.
Until this point, I could never understand how, in the Gospel of Mark, Jesus falls asleep on a boat in the middle of a storm. I think I get it now. Like a child falling asleep in the back of the car while we white knuckle through an ice storm, Jesus illustrated what peace looks like.
He had complete trust in His Father—despite the squall.
This is the peace I want to exhibit in my heart, home, and interactions. This is the central element of our Catholic faith. Every single tenement stands as a beacon of hope, an invitation to trust, and a beautiful offering to restore our peace and reiterate our place in God’s plan. Each rite, sacrament, and Holy Mass beckons us to set down our busyness, burdens, and broken expectations so we can lay our heads down in reprieve.
This peace is the piece of me I want to leave as a legacy.
I want to cultivate a trust that starts in my thoughts, radiates into my actions, and fills my home with a tangible calm. With this kind of intimate confidence, peace flows freely, and others are drawn in and restored in its presence. With this assurance, I’ve found it doesn’t actually matter what the outcome is. The ship could break apart around me, but my heart can rest in peace because deep down, I know that the purpose of everything is for our good and His glory.
Kara Johnson lives in Idaho and is a Catholic convert, wife, and homeschooling mom of three. She is the Prayer Director in Masters at www.madeforgreatness.co and loves to encourage and coach Catholic women to fully embrace their beauty, vocation, and unique call to sanctity!
Our Novena Prayers for the Holy Souls In Purgatory
*May be prayed in a cemetery or from home
We’ll be using this gem I discovered in the Pieta Prayer booklet. While it is intended for praying at cemeteries (staying in your car counts), it can be done from home or at church. I have done it for years, and try to attend Mass each day as well! I love walking around the cemetery, prayerfully reading each name while I recite the following Novena Prayers:
Five Apostle’s Creeds;
One Hail, Holy Queen;
One each of the Our Father (Lord’s Prayer), Hail Mary and Glory be; &
Conclude with Requiem Prayer:
Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them, and may they rest in peace. Amen.
