“Peace be with you”
There are many different types of peace. It could be between people, communities, states, countries, and/or nations. There is peace within oneself. There is also peace between a person and God. While we will touch on all of these factors, keep in mind that all have the same core, which is God, the center of our lives who brings about order and peace.
What is peace? “Peace is first of all the absence of conflict. But it is also the serenity experienced because there is no conflict. It is the calm that accompanies agreement of human wills, and is the foundation of every well-ordered society.” [1] “’Peace is the tranquility of order.’ [2] Order is established by the law and will of God. Those who respect this order fully, possess the plenitude of interior peace; those who depart from it, even in a slight degree, lose their peace in proportion to their deviation from it. Peace is the refreshment and repose of the soul in the midst of the struggles and sorrows of life, but this is not the only reason for which we should try to obtain and possess it. We should desire it above all because it gives glory to God.” [3]
How can someone obtain peace? We can first obtain peace through our baptism. “Among the gifts of grace infused at baptism are the peace and joy of the Holy Spirit, which make possible the practice of the Beatitudes, even to loving the cross in suffering for Christ, and the practice of the counsels, even to making a lifetime sacrifice of earthly possessions in imitation of Christ.” [4] At our baptism, we receive the theological gift of charity which is later strengthened in Confirmation and helps us to “love God above all things for his own sake, and our neighbor as ourselves for the love of God.” [5] If we practice this gift, the fruits that spring forth are joy, peace, and mercy. We should not put our fears and worries on things of this world, but fully place our trust and love in God. We also should not look at our neighbor with envy or pride but with love, compassion, and a desire to help them as best we can.
St. Teresa of Jesus said, “Holy peace consists in a union with God’s will, of such a kind that no dissension arises between the will of God and the soul, but they are both one – not in words or in desires alone but in works. When a soul finds that by doing something it can serve its Spouse better, it listens to no objections raised by its mind, nor to any fears…but allows faith to act, and considers not its own profit nor its own tranquility.” [6]
This insurance video is trying to sell peace of mind, whether it is for our vehicle, home, or belongings. But what about our souls? How are we providing our souls with peace?
Why does Jesus say, “peace be with you” in the Gospel reading? To understand this, we have to place ourselves in the shoes of the Apostles. They had just witnessed Jesus’ death three days ago. They are scared, alone, and fearing for their lives. Then they see Jesus come through a locked door. With all of these emotions, it is no wonder that Jesus’ first words were of peace. Jesus wanted His disciples to have His peace; peace in knowing that He had risen from the dead and that He was not there as a ghost, but present in body and soul. He also needed them to have the wisdom of God in order to achieve the peace He speaks of during the proclamation of the Kingdom. “The gift of wisdom leads us to peace: the interior peace of the soul who, having tasted God, gives itself to Him without reserve, in complete surrender to His divine will; the serene peace of one who, seeing God in all things, accepts the hardships of life without being disturbed, adoring God’s providence in all; finally, it is the social peace of him who, considering all men in relation to God, as His creatures and His children, loves them all and wishes to live in peace with all.” [7] The Apostles demonstrated this after their experience of seeing the risen Lord and were fully committed to God with an absolute peace in their lives all the way to their deaths.
Where else do we hear Jesus say “peace be with you”? At Mass we hear the words from the Gospel of John, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Do not let your hearts be troubled or afraid.” [8] When we give the sign of peace to someone at Mass we are not extending our peace, but God’s peace to each other. It is the same peace that was promised to the disciples and fulfilled after the Resurrection as we hear in today’s Gospel reading. The other place we hear of Christ’s peace is in the Sacrament of Reconciliation. When we go to confession and seek God’s forgiveness, the priest says “May God grant you pardon and peace…” It “is usually followed by peace and serenity of conscience with strong spiritual consolation.” [9] Jesus wants us to have peace within Him so that we may follow Him completely.
Where are the words “Peace be with you” said during the Mass? During the introductory rite, and before the sign of peace. We should be at peace at Mass, and have no fear as we approach Our Lord, in both word and Sacrament. We should not fear the challenge to holiness, the conversion of heart, and the attentiveness that He calls us to.
How is the peace that God gives us different from the peace that the world gives us? God’s peace is not a thing, but His very self in the person of Jesus Christ. “For he is our peace, he who made both one and broke down the dividing wall of enmity, through his flesh…He came and preached peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near, for through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father.” [10] Usually the world’s peace is from a thing or person that is not God. We often place our hope and trust in something that can never reciprocate it or live up to the expectations we set out for them. How many times have we quickly sought peace in something of this world, only to have it ripped away from us just as quickly?
“Christ's peace is different from the peace that the world affords. The world's peace is won at the price of capitulation, of giving in to one's weaknesses. Christ's peace comes from His Cross. And the Cross and the Eucharist have always been mystically one. For that reason the Cross has traditionally been placed just above the altar. In the Holy Eucharist we celebrate the passion, death and resurrection of Christ. Christ invites us to share in this paschal mystery, but not simply at Mass. The mystery we celebrate at Mass is the mystery of faith that we must live daily. This is what the person does when she dies to her weakness (e.g., fear of the miser) and embraces the Cross (of confronting her husband's miserliness and finding a job to earn her own monies).” [11]
Can someone loose peace? Yes. When we try and attach our peace to something or someone other than God we can loose sight of the order of our life and thus lose our peace. The hierarchy of values should be in the following order: supernatural, spiritual, intellectual, and material. What are we putting our peace in? While we should still put value in our own capabilities and intellect, our supreme trust and order of our lives should be in the supreme almighty God. “If I often lose peace of mind from definable or indefinable causes, on account of what I have or do, I am too attached to the object, person, or practice, since ordinate affection, being orderly, produces tranquility of mind, which is the essence of peace.” [12]
If we have lost peace, can we regain it? Yes, absolutely. If we lost peace, that means someone or something robbed us of it. If it is from something sinful, we should go to confession to be reunited with God and receive His peace. We should also turn to prayer, especially in front of the Most Blessed Sacrament in adoration or Mass. “The early Church understood the mystery of the Eucharist as underlying the expression ‘peace’. “Peace’ very quickly became one of the names for the Eucharistic sacrament, for it is there that God does in fact come to meet us, that He sets us free, that, although we are debtors, guilty in His sight, He takes us into His arms, gives Himself to us. And by leading us to Himself, introducing us into the communion of His Body, by introducing us into the sphere of His love, by feeding us with the same Bread. He also gives us to one another as brothers and sisters. The Eucharist is peace from the Lord.” [13]
How can we spread peace? As Jesus sends out his disciples in the upper room, He also sends us to spread His peace. We can take to heart the words from the Gospel of Matthew, “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.” [14] When it comes to spreading peace, we cannot stand on the sidelines. While it is the role of our pastors to intervene in the political structure and organization of social life, it is our responsibility to bring peace everywhere. Our ways of protecting and bringing peace to the world must have the common good in mind, along with the message of the Gospel and the teachings of the Church. [15] “It is the role of the laity ‘to animate temporal realities with Christian commitment, by which they show that they are witnesses and agents of peace and justice.’ [16]” [17] To what areas in our life can we bring peace? Be specific. What steps can we take to take to achieve this peace? Who can we bring peace to in our life that really needs it?
[1] Modern Catholic Dictionary pg. 411
[2] St. Augustine, De civ. Dei, 19,13, 1:PL 41, 640
[3] Divine Intimacy pg. 97
[4] The Catholic Catechism pg. 429
[5] CCC 1822
[6] T.J. Con, 3
[7] Divine Intimacy pg. 941
[8] Jn. 14:27
[9] Council of Trent (1551): DS 1674
[10] 1 Cor. 14,17-18
[11] Father Emmerich Vogt, O.P. "The Eucharist and Peace." The Twelve Step Review (Spring 2007).
[12] The Catholic Catechism pg. 429
[13] Pope Benedict XVI, God is Near Us pg. 117
[14] Mt. 5:3-12
[15] Cf. CCC 2442
[16] SRS 47 & 6; cf. 42
[17] CCC 2442