In the scriptures, Jesus says that he will give us a gift of peace. What is this peace? It is more than a mere greeting. It is the desire of the Lord to give us a gift that will make a difference in our lives. When Jesus appeared to the Apostles on Easter, he said: "Peace be with you." The first thing he was doing was reassuring them of his mercy and forgiveness for their lack of faith and their cowardly response at his arrest and death. He was also saying to them, that because of his death and resurrection, he had won for them the gift of salvation. This gift of salvation included a sharing in his own divine life. Further, in this peace of Christ they would have the inner strength in the face of the upcoming persecutions they will face because of him. What would motivate them from then on is what motivated Jesus: a love of the Father that seeks to do his will even in the face of suffering and death. Jesus offers us this gift of real, enduring peace in opposition to the short-lived peace of the world. We can choose the peace that we want.