“And he said, ‘ O man greatly loved, fear not, peace be with you; be strong and of good courage.’ And as he spoke to me, I was strengthened and said,’ Let my Lord speak, for you have strengthened me.” (Daniel 10:19)

Peace may defined as the state of not being interrupted or annoyed by worry, problems, noise, or unwanted actions (Cambridge Dictionary) or mental or emotional calm (Collins Dictionary).

“Glory to God in the highest heaven, and peace on earth to people he favours!” (Luke 2:14).

This Peace may be attained in the true sense only spiritually through prayers and devotion to Our Lord Jesus Christ and to Our Mother Mary. Peace can never be attained through a person(s), thing(s) or situation, although some may get some happiness, joy and peace momentarily through material things, people, job, achievements so on and so forth. The Peace and Sanctity that we experience during praise and worship to Jesus Christ is an experience that leaves us spiritually enriched. This makes us look forward to more such experiences, which ultimately lead us to the Divine Peace, Sanctity and tranquillity-“Now, Master, you can dismiss your servant in peace, as you promised”(Luke 2:29)

During the Sacrament of Baptism, which marks the beginning of our Christian life and our spiritual journey, we receive Jesus Christ into our hearts, which is the temple of God, where He lives and reigns.  “Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times and in every way. The Lord be with all of you.^{”  (}2 Thessalonians 3:16)

“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” (John 14:27).

We need to understand that trials and tribulations are part and parcel of every individual’s life at some point in our lifetime, in one or more ways, whether we accept it or not. There is no escaping this brutal reality of life. Our minds may be disturbed, our hearts may be troubled, our bodies exhausted but there is only one place to seek solace, peace, tranquillity and rest – to be in the Sanctuary of God – in the presence of the Lord, before the Blessed Sacrament adoring, praising, glorifying and worshipping Jesus Christ, Our Abba Father.One would be highly mistaken to think a peaceful life is a life devoid of sickness, financial difficulty, lack of a job, home, or scarcity of material things. We have no authority over other people, their nature, character, thoughts, words, actions, behaviour nor over our own problems. But we have control over ourselves and our lives. Hence, we need to take responsibility for our lives – the way we think, the way we feel, our words, our actions, and our behaviour. “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness” (Galatians 5:22). And so, we need to imbibe these characteristics of Jesus in our lives.

The solution to an easier life

It is only through Prayers and Supplications that makes this journey of life easier and bearable to live; surrendering our lives, our problems, burdens, struggles, brokenness to Jesus Christ and to the will of God. And more importantly, trusting that God will do what is right for us.

St Theresa of Avila said, “Let nothing perturb you, nothing frighten you. All things pass. God does not change. Patience achieves everything.” For fear and anxiety stem from the lack of faith and unbelief in our Lord Jesus Christ and the heavenly Father. This is uncharacteristic of a good and true Christian life.

The Serenity Prayer by St. Francis of Assisi

God, give us grace to accept with serenity
the things that cannot be changed,
Courage to change the things which should be changed,
and the Wisdom to distinguish the one from the other.
Living one day at a time,
Enjoying one moment at a time,
Accepting hardship as a pathway to peace,
Taking, as Jesus did,
This sinful world as it is,
Not as I would have it,
Trusting that You will make all things right,
If I surrender to Your will,
So that I may be reasonably happy in this life,
And supremely happy with You forever in the next.
Amen.

“So that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your own soul too.” (Luke2:35)

 Mother Mary had the grace of Peace and Serenity despite all her sufferings of witnessing the Passion of Christ and the crucifixion of Jesus, her only beloved son. It is the Holy Spirit that blessed Mother Mary with these graces. May we too be blessed by the Holy Spirit.

Colossians 3:15 “Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body, you were called to peace. And be thankful”

Prayer By Fr. George Panackal VC  to invite Jesus into our lives

“Oh Jesus, the true source of peace and joy. I surrender my life, my difficulties, my struggles, problems in my family, community, and personal life. I invite you to visit the darkness and dangers I face in my life. I surrender my sleepless nights due to lack of peace in my life and family. I surrender each and every member of my family also. Jesus have mercy on me. Jesus have mercy on us.

Jesus I surrender things I can’t change/ I can’t understand/ I can’t accept. Oh Jesus stretch out your wounded hands, accept all my tears and wounds, my broken heart and mind. Bless me with your holy wounds. I know without you I have no peace. I have no joy. Jesus my Jesus come to me, touch me, heal me, save me. You are my Lord and Master of my life. Jesus only you can bring peace into my life. I believe you are my peace. I accept you as my peace. Jesus take abode in my heart. Jesus, Jesus, Jesus”.

Say Jesus 10 times. Say “Jesus is my peace” 10 times.

Amen.”

6 things we need to ask ourselves:

1. Do we truly experience the Peace (in the true sense) in our lives?
2. Do we experience Jesus in our lives?
3. How can we attain and sustain the Peace and Serenity in our lives?
4. Do we seek the Peace and Serenity in the Sanctuary of God or in the worldly materials, possessions, attachments etc ?
5. Have we accepted Jesus as the sole authority of our lives?
6. Have we surrendered our lives to God’s Holy Will ?

By Dr. Charlene Rose Marie