By Father John O’Brien

(Fifth in a series)

Carpenter that he was Jesus hit the nail on the head: Peace is a gift received (John 14:27). Personal peace, inner tranquillity, heartfelt serenity is a gift of God. It is given to those who are disposed to receiving it. Jesus himself has modeled for us such a disposition. By another name it is called Surrender.

From the outset of his own peace march Jesus imaged that surrender and He walked in peace, his face set toward that city of the same name. He was not intent upon doing his own thing, rather he was committed to the will and work of his Father, and in this He found peace.

A Prince of Peace from the day of His birth He was reared by parents who themselves were at peace with God and with each other. They too had surrendered in a mutual Fiat to the God who had done great things for them.

Personal peace as much as civil peace is the fruit of Justice. Rendering to others what is rightfully theirs will lead to peace among nations. The tranquil composure of the human spirit comes to those who freely accept the will of God as His will is known to them. Surrendering to His will they win, forfeiting their own will, they obtain the gift of Peace.

All too often our human restlessness, our lack of peace, is the result of our reluctance to accept His will when that is not in concert with our own. We are more prone to demand that our will be done than inclined to do His will on earth as He would have it done in Heaven. Jesus contradicts us. And especially in the setting of his own dying and rising to new life and new peace. He, like us in all things save sin, did express a preference, he prayed, “Father if it be possible…” But, that not being the case, he surrendered. “Thy will be done.” And into the hands of His Father he gave His spirit.

Our brother lived and died at peace.

True it is that we all lament the fact that today peace is not flowing like a river since nations are arming to destroy. Our own national climate is less than peaceful but we as individuals need not be empty of this gift. It is still a choice open to us that our hearts not be troubled or that we be unafraid. The gift is not as the world gives, “trust in Me and trust in God’ he says.

As we move forward to those days of old remembrance we do well to offer ourselves as available to that gift. Whether it be to shepherds or to disciples or to us, the message is the same: peace to those of good will, to those upon whom God’s favor rests as He finds us attentive to his will.

Jesus could not have been the great giver had He not first of all received, he could not have made the peace offer had He not first been gifted by His Father. So we who are called to be peacemakers must first of all be at peace, in harmony with the Lord. Nations surrender to force, we are called so surrender to Love. “All things work unto good for those who love…” So that even at our darkest moments we can find peace in uttering and acting out His prayer, “thy will be done.”

Perhaps Jesus didn’t know the melody, but He certainly knew the words and their meaning: “Let there be peace on earth and let it begin with me.” It did begin with Him and that is how we can have it for ourselves. It will be ours if we live as He did, doing what we have been called to do. The will of God.