Peace of Heart

Peace of Heart

Currently I am reading a book written by Father Jaceques Philippe titled Searching for and Maintaining Peace “A Small Treatise on Peace of Heart.” Father Philippe is a great spiritual writer who wrote a book titled Time for God which I would recommend to anyone beginning or struggling with their prayer life. In the beginning of his book on Peace, Father Philippe speaks about the importance of every Christian realizing that apart from God, they can do nothing. He writes, “the first thing of which we must be convinced is that all the good that we can do comes from God and from Him alone: Apart from me, you can do nothing, Jesus said (John 15:5). This is major pillar of the priesthood, the realization that it is Christ that works through you in the sacraments and in your ministry. As a seminarian realizing that when I teach CCD, it is not me, but Christ that brings joy and catechus to the class. When we come to realize this, we can come to see the many ways God touches our lives throughout one day alone.

When we come to realize that it is God working within us, the topic of peace comes into play. In the book Father Philippe uses the example of a lake that is “tranquil” and “peaceful” which perfectly reflects the sun. Compared to a lake that is “agitated” which cannot perfectly reflect the sun. The same can be said about a person with peace, if we are able to maintain peace of heart the better we will be able to reflect Christ to others. Father Philippe even states, “The more our soul is peaceful and tranquil…the more His grace acts through us.” This message is something that every Catholic should remember but especially someone who is discerning the priesthood. One way a person is able to gauge their discernment is through the peace of their heart. Do you feel more at peace when speaking with a priest at your parish or the vocations director? Do you find yourself more at peace after going to the discernment group? After being in seminary for a year do still have that peace of heart? Saint Augustine in his Confessions states, “God, you have made us for yourself, and our hearts are restless till they find their rest in you.” What we can conclude from this is that we must be peaceful Catholics day in and day out, so that we might be able to better reflect Christ in ourselves and to others. This peace comes from God, which shows the importance of our prayer lives so that our hearts may rest and find peace in the Lord.