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By: Father Nicolas Schwizer
It seems to me that one of the qualities of Christians should be, or at least should be, inner peace. It is especially important for the woman. In this way she can be the center of the home around which family life revolves. A genuine mother has conquered and radiates profound peace.
What about us, to what level have we conquered this? It seems to me that for many of us it is difficult to acquire and hard to preserve that attitude. Perhaps we allow ourselves to be overly pressured by the demands of daily life, home, children, or the economy. After returning home from working all day, there is no more strength left to maintain peace, to subdue the nerves, or to radiate peace.
What a joy it is to meet people who radiate serenity and peace! By only being around them, one experiences their tranquility which gives depth to their lives. They are centers of peace in a restless world. They remind us that worries end, victories fade away with time, and that the only thing which is important is to live daily life as it comes, without letting anything shake the pillars of our serenity.
The man/woman of today does not know about peace of heart because he/she has lost the compass. He/she is confused and disoriented when facing the great questions of life and existence. For that reason, he/she is not capable of having a stable married life nor is able to assume with dignity any serious commitment. Instead of an orderly and harmonious life, he/she lives with permanent stress and has an attitude of breaking-up, fleeing or evading. With such a life, it is impossible to find serenity and peace.
1. Peace with God. According to St. Augustine, peace is “tranquillitas ordinis,” the calmness to adjust to the order established by God. In order for me to have inner peace, I have to have conquered peace with God: to know and feel that I am a beloved child of the Father, and to give myself to Him in childlikeness.
2. Peace with mankind. Whoever has peace with God can work toward the arduous task of seeking peace with mankind. This is a necessary and likewise difficult goal within our troubled lives. Within that stormy horizon, it is up to me to foster peace and to make it possible in my small surroundings.
May those who live in contact with me, know they have nothing to fear from me. May they not see a rival, but rather, a friend; may they not see me as an obstacle in their career, but as a help along the way.
3. Peace with myself. The most difficult peace is peace with oneself. The deepest division is “me.” Due to sin, we are divided within ourselves in something which is like a walking civil war: conflicts between body and soul…..the old man and the new man…..will and instincts…..reason and feelings….. angel and beast. Not accepting myself, rejecting my past, not admitting my weaknesses, being intolerant with myself…..all of these make peace impossible. It is difficult to be at peace with God and others if there is no unity within myself.
The devil knows this well; therefore, he tries to sow worry and division in souls in many ways. A restless soul is a soul disposed to allow itself to be won over by sadness and to withdraw.
My natural harmony is the condition for my sanctity; therefore, we must take seriously the presence of the Holy Spirit in our soul and let us ask Him to fulfill the task of healing and purifying us naturally.
We have to strive to conquer inner calmness, serenity of soul, and peace of heart. May the Most Blessed Virgin, Queen of peace, help us all to transform ourselves into men and women filled with harmony and peace in this world which is filled with hate, discord and wars.
4. Peace with the whole world, with all of creation….. Christian peace which loves nature because it is the work of God and is comfortable in the world because it is the house of the Father God…..Peace which embraces all and leads all to its final destiny in the heart of God.
Questions for reflection
1. Do I offer peace and tranquility to others?
2. Do I know my inner conflicts?
3. Do I ask the Holy Spirit for the gift of peace?
If you wish to subscribe, comment on this text or give a testimony, write to: pn.reflexiones@gmail.com
Translation: Carlos Cantú Family Federation La Feria, Texas USA
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