The Peace of God 

   “We are not at peace with others because we are not at peace with ourselves, and we are not at peace with ourselves because we are not at peace with God.”  (Thomas Merton) 

   The peace that God has given me is one of my greatest blessings.  It is a peace that cannot be taken from me but can be lost through my own failings.

   God’s peace brings a perspective to life that can’t be found in the world.  It allows me to look at the world as it is, fallen and in need of salvation while at the same time not wallowing in hate or despair because of its wickedness.

   “Peace I bequeath to you, my own peace I give you, a peace the world cannot give, this is my gift to you.  Do not let your hearts be troubled or afraid.” (John 14: 27).  These words strengthen me, they give me hope, they allow me to preserve my inner peace in a world that is fallen and wicked in many ways.

   With the peace of God within me I can see the world as it is, but always keep in mind the words of Fulton Sheen, “In the end, God wins.”