I want to encourage you, with all the energy God gives me, to love peace and to ask the Lord for it. May peace be our best friend. May it find a safe place in our hearts, free from pain and resentment. May embracing it be sweet and its friendship inseparable.
It’s funny, but speaking beautifully about peace is harder than simply living it. When we try to describe it, we search for words and struggle to express it; but if we simply live it, it flows effortlessly.
Those who do not value peace, rather than reproach them, must be taught with patience and example. Those who truly love peace also love those who do not yet understand it. It’s like with light: if you love it, you don’t get angry with the blind, but rather you understand them and would like to help them. If you have peace, instead of getting angry with those who don’t, plant in them the desire to know it.
When you share peace, you lose nothing. In fact, it grows the more people share it. It has no limits. The more we spread it, the stronger it becomes. So love it, live it, and help others find it. It never fills up or wears out: it grows with each person who embraces it.
Think of all the things people passionately desire: land, money, gold, luxury, honor, power… You don’t possess them just by loving them; it’s possible to love them and be completely empty of them. And when you have them, you’re tormented by the fear of losing them.
But love peace, and only with that will you have it. It’s a matter of the heart. And if you want others to join in, be the first to make it a part of your life and don’t let go. If it shines in you, its light ignites others. Those who love peace don’t keep it to themselves; they seek to make it more accessible to others, for the more people who possess it, the greater it is.
If someone doesn’t accept it, insist patiently. At first, they may reject it, but when they finally see it, they’ll love it. Peace is the most precious gift. Like light, peace is not exhausted by many people.
There are those who fear peace because they are not accustomed to it. But peace is not like a beast or a fire that destroys, but rather like a light that guides. If someone is afraid of peace, don’t judge them; help them heal with whatever is in your power, with the strength God gives you.
Instead of arguing with someone blinded by anger or pride, show patience and calm to heal wounds. It’s not about arguing with each other, which only causes more trouble. If someone insults you, act as if nothing happened, don’t confront them: they are hurt and need help, not more arguments. Respond calmly instead of hitting back.
By staying out of it, you’re helping more than you think. Avoid arguments and focus on prayer. Pray to God for those who insult you. Don’t waste words on useless arguments; instead, speak to God in the silence of your heart.
If someone wants to argue with you, calmly answer: “Say what you want, even if you hate me, you’re still my brother.” He may not understand and say, “How can I be your brother if we’re enemies?” But the truth is, he is, even if he doesn’t see it. Don’t be guided by his hateful words, but by the light of truth.
“Say to those who hate you and despise you, ‘We are brothers!’” (Is 66:5). Although it may sound strange, it is true. What merit is there in saying this to those who love you? This is how you honor God’s name. Perhaps in the end, seeing your patience and love, he may even be ashamed of his attitude. Saying “You are my brother” helps him see that, despite everything, we are children of the same God.
You must say all this with passion, but calmly. Speak with love, not with a desire to fight. And at the same time, let us all pray to God. Our brothers and sisters need healing, and we are not the doctors, but God. The best thing we can do is present them to Him with humility, praying and helping them with love.
Let us show charity with generosity: let us help those in need, let us practice hospitality. Now is the perfect time to share. Don’t cling to what you have, because the only sure thing is what you deposit in heaven. No one can steal it there. Don’t be afraid to give, because God will not only return it to you, but will multiply it. Trust in Him.
