Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you.– Jesus tells this to his disciples. It is referenced every Mass right before communion, as the priest says this in a prayer right during the rite of peace – but what is this peace?
Marriam-Webster definitions such as “freedom from civil disturbance” and “a state of security or order within a community provided for by law or custom” – absence of conflict is center to this understanding of peace. But can this the peace that Christ offers?
The peace that would have been most familiar to Jesus’ disciples would have been the Pax Romana – 200 years of “peace” – no major wars, stability of government – very little civil disturbance.
Yet this is something that no Jew would of call peace - it came only under the Sword of the Roman Legions. Crushing dissent and disagreement with aggression. Fear held things in line. It is this Pax Romana that crushed the Jewish revolt in the 1st century – destroying the Temple and Jerusalem in the year AD 70. This is not something that can be called peace.
Perhaps in land of Christendom that was the Middle Ages there might be this peace? Yet this is the time of Viking raids, and then the crusades and fighting Arab invasions. A time coming to the end with vicious wars over religion – it is a rare person who looks medieval times and thinks of peace.
Historians will tell us the 20th century was the most peaceful time in human history, there was very few major conflicts – and this came – still comes – from nuclear weapons pointed all around – MAD – mutual assured destruction. War prevent by fear of retaliation. No conflict, but all driven by fear of destruction. And no major conflicts? Sure – but there was still a lot of warfare through the Century. And the 21st century? Wars, conflicts, unrest rumble on across the globe.
Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you - If peace is just the absence of conflict – then Jesus has failed to give peace – both then and now. Yet that might not be what he was actually promising – He also says that the disciples will be persecuted – and in one shocking statement in Matthews gospel Jesus says “Do not think that I have come to bring peace upon the earth. I have come to bring not peace but the sword.” Conflict is to be expected. The saints showed Christ Peace, and that includes the Martyrs – St Lawarence had peace as he was grilled to death
This is not to say that Peace as an absence of conflict is bad – for it is a good thing to desire, we should be praying for an end to war, strife and conflict. But Jesus offers a peace far more profound than a mere absence of conflict –Not as the world gives do I give it to you. Do not let your hearts be troubled or afraid. Christ gives an inner peace which cannot be taken even in a conflict – A peace that can make one free – one is able to choose the good no matter the cost, for fear does not have a hold. A peace that can, according to pius legend, allow St Lawarence to say –pius legend, say “Turn me over, I’m done on this side”
Peace, in the words of St Caesarius of Arles, is a serenity of mind, tranquility of soul, simplicity of heart, the bond of love, the fellowship of charity. – No mater how rocky the waves – Christ offers a peace that can stand firm, so much so that St Ambrose says that, with the peace of Christ, one is immovable in the anchorage of faith against the rising waves and tempests of the world.
Reading the news today, one reads of tradedy somewhere in the world – there is some war or civil disturbance, – dangers around every corner –for many the world can be a scary place – one can live in fear. How is this to be resolved? One way is that of the Pax Romana – force of the sword – use force to crush it. But that cannot hold – for there is no deeper peace. It will collapse –Rome eventually fell.
Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you – The sword cannot provide peace – But Christ’s peace is different – On one hand it is hard, for it Christ’s peace must be lived, it is not just a feeling, but shows itself through life. fear shows itself in one’s life, so also with peace. – Yet by Grace, it is readily available, making accessible that which did not seems so. Jesus gives his peace to all turn to him, if only we accept it. – peace, offering freedom from fear and freedom to do the good –
Freedom to do the good, not acting in fear – another answer to the challenges of war, civil disturbances, and tragedys. One person at time, not acting in fear – but in that inner peace, freely choosing the good in love. This might just be something that, again in the words of St Caesarius “removes hatred, settles wars, restrains wrath, tramples on pride, loves the humble, pacifies the discordant and makes enemies agree.” – conflict is resolved not by crushing it, but through an inner peace, through the peace of Christ.
Jesus might promise might not have promised an absence of conflict – yet it is the peace of Christ, which he has given, that is the answer – We have been given the peace of Christ – have we accepted it? We have been given the peace of Christ – do we live it? Only in Christ is there an answer to the turmoil of the world – peace given one disciple at a time.