8 June, Monday — Peace is an inside job

Monday of Week 10 in Ordinary Time

1 Kgs 17:1-6
Mt 5:1-12

“Happy the peacemakers, they shall be called children of God.“

The Beatitudes, often referred to as the ‘new’ Ten Commandments, were spoken directly from the mouth of Christ. The depth of meaning of the Beatitudes, both individually and collectively, could be reflected on daily for a lifetime and we would still not exhaust or fully grasp the fullness and depth of truth, of love, of God and His ways.

We live in a time — thanks to the innumerable negative effects of 24/7 global news and the sensationalised power-hungry media that easily distorts truth, and the new emerging AI that has killed the ‘seeing is believing’ concept — when we are able to get so focused on the rest of the world, that we easily neglect (to the delight of the enemy) looking at, taking care of, and even actually ‘living’ in the little acre that God has placed us in. Constantly seeing newsworthy snippets of the whole world in often manipulated, tiny glances, and word-bites in living color actually results in our seeing darkness all around. The darkness engulfs so many, perhaps because we realise that we, too, are naked and cannot fix the world. Thus, we are easily and constantly overwhelmed with defeat and hopelessness for the future of the world. How can we be peacemakers in such a big world when so much is wrong?   

We live in a time that makes it so much easier – and we get so many more likes – when we don’t rest in the peace of God and instead ‘rest in the peace of likes’ by giving a ‘piece of my mind’.

To live the Beatitudes is not just to receive comfort, to be satisfied, to obtain mercy, to see God; but to carry the cross of being poor in spirit vs being powerful on the stage, of mourning vs feeding the flesh, of being meek vs playing the victim, of hungering and thirsting for righteousness vs being followed, of being merciful vs being a BA, of being pure in heart vs seeking the love of the world, of being persecuted vs standing for truth, of being a peacemaker vs always screaming a piece of our mind.

When we do not know, or live as if we don’t know, that God is Sovereign and has not left us, and when we forget that “There is never a moment when Divine Love is not at work”, we have fallen into the trap of the enemy; and, if we stay there, it truly is all dark, all hopeless, and peace no longer exists.

There is but one lasting peace, and it flows from Christ to those who follow Him, who walk in His ways, and are not merely fans of His ‘love thy neighbour’ motto; but followers who choose the lasting peace of truth versus a momentary ‘piece’ of being part of the popular crowd.

The constant noise of so many whispering, saying, shouting a ‘piece of their mind is the doing of the enemy, because the enemy constantly tells us, “it’s all about you” — so stand on any and all platforms and yell and scream so that peace isn’t tolerated.

As Catholics, we know better. We know the story from beginning to end — even though we don’t understand it all and certainly don’t see it clearly — and we know who ‘wins’. Thus, it is our duty, our honour, our joy, to bear witness to the good news. The news that at this very moment, God is in Heaven and here with us and therefore, ‘all is well, all is well and all manner of things are well’, because of He who has conquered the world. 

Henri Nouwen, in ‘Finding my Way Home: Pathways to the Life and the Spirit’ eloquently expressed it this way: As long as we imagine and live as if there is no peace in sight, and that it all depends on us to make it come about, we are on the road to self-destruction. But when we trust that the God of love has already given the peace we are searching for, we will see this peace breaking through the broken soil of our human condition and we will be able to let it grow fast and even heal the economic and political maladies of our time. With this trust in our hearts, we will be able to hear the words, “Blessed are the peacemakers for they will be called children of God”.

We don’t have all the answers, and sometimes it seems we don’t have ANY answers, for the world and even for our very self. But…we do know who DOES HAVE all the answers. ALL the answers. ALL. And He has called each of us into a personal and unique relationship. He loves each of us. He loves you, He loves me. Period. God has invited us to freely accept HIM into our heart so that we can live in His perfect peace. 

When we allow Him into our heart, into each and every day, into each and every action, we become a peacemaker in our body, in our home, in our relationships, in this world, because we allowed Him to live in us. He is the perfect peacemaker in our every step and every word, because we have peace when we say ‘YES’ to allowing Him to lead from within. Peace in us, a peace that spreads.

The words of St. Teresa of Avila share this peace:

Let nothing disturb you, 
Let nothing frighten you, 
All things are passing away: 

God never changes. 
Patience obtains all things
Whoever has God lacks nothing; 
God alone suffices.          

(Today’s OXYGEN by Gina Ulicny)

Prayer: Father God, you are the peacemaker; only with You in me can I even have peace with my very self. Your limitless love for me brings joy and fills my every word and action when I allow You to lead. Your beatitudes Lord, bring peace and are words to live by. I beg You to lead me because on my own, I cannot live them — my flesh is too weak — but You, Lord, are my strength. Lord, I ask for the grace to allow You to lead.

Thanksgiving: Father God, thank You for Your words of everlasting peace.