REFLECTIONS

"Searching for the Kingdom of Peace"

Our peace doesn't come from the world, from exterior circumstances. It comes from our communion in faith and love with Jesus, the Prince of Peace. It is the fruit of prayer. God is an ocean of peace, and each time we are in intimate union with him through prayer, our hearts find peace again. Sometimes, praying until peace comes back is an urgent duty .... The quest for interior peace is much more than the search for peace of mind. It re­ally is about something else: opening ourselves up to God's actions. The more we reach out toward peace, the more the grace of God is capable of acting in our lives. [As] a tranquil lake perfectly reflects the sun, so is a peaceful heart receptive to the action and movement of the Spirit ....

Only a peaceful heart is capable of truly loving. Remaining calm in the face of trouble, uneasiness, and interior disturbances is necessary in order for God to act in our lives. We can still grow in love, and our lives can have the fruitfulness we are called to have, if we can accomplish this inward peace .... The only time we have good discernment is when we are at peace. When we're preoccupied by worry, disturbed by events in our lives, our emotions can get the best of us and we don't have an objective grasp on reality - we are tempted to see everything in black and white and question every thing in our life.

When a problem has robbed us of our peace, the most important thing is not to resolve the problem in the hope of regaining our peace, but to regain a minimum of peacefulness, and then to see what we can o face the problem. We will avoid making irrational choices for all the wrong reasons. How do we get back this minimum level of peace? Essentially through prayer, listening to the Word, and believing that God never abandon us.

FATHER JACQUES PHILIPPE
Father Philippe is a member of the Community of the Beatitudes and a renowned spiritual director.