Justice shall flower in his days, and profound peace, till the moon be no more.- Psalm 72:7
During the first week of Advent we focused on the gift of hope, which is connected in a deep way to this week’s gift: peace–pax in Latin. St. Paul taught that God is the true source of our peace: “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you may abound in hope by the power of the holy Spirit” (Romans 15:13). Peace is a fruit of the Holy Spirit (Galatians 5:22). Christ promised that He would give us this true peace: “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give it to you. Do not let your hearts be troubled or afraid” (John 14:27).
Christ’s peace flows from His justice. Consider a kingdom that has an unjust king; chaos and war quickly follow. But the Kingdom of Christ has a perfectly just king, and He desires that we reside in His perfect peace. When there is a lack of peace in our hearts or homes we can remind ourselves that Jesus “is our peace” (Ephesians 2:14). We can call on Jesus, the Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9:6), to come and calm the storms that cause discord. We can cry out, “Jesus, bring us Your peace!”
Receiving the peace of Christ deep within us will prepare us to receive the gift we will focus on next week, which is joy: “Rejoice in the Lord always. I shall say it again: rejoice!…Have no anxiety at all, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, make your requests known to God. Then the peace of God that surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:4-7). Notice how St. Paul says this peace comes to us: by placing our cares and requests in God’s hands through our prayer. Consistent daily prayer is the surest way we can reside in Christ’s peace.
Come, Lord Jesus! Come and bring me Your peace. Prepare my heart for Your abundant life.