Peace

Preaching for the Christmas Convention

Dear brothers and sisters,

Today we hear again the beautiful message of Christmas:
God gives us his peace. We all want peace.
Every person, every family, every country desires peace.
But when we look at our world, we see war, violence, fear, division.
Sometimes, even in our own hearts and in our own homes, we do not feel peace. So we can ask:
What is this peace that God promises us?
What kind of peace is born in Bethlehem?

1. What peace is not

First, let us say clearly what peace is not.

Peace is not only the absence of war.
We can live in a country without war, and still have a heart full of anger, jealousy, fear.
Peace is not just a feeling of calm.
Feelings go up and down. True peace is deeper than emotions.
Peace is not escape.
It is not closing our eyes to problems, or ignoring injustice, or staying in our comfort.
Peace is not control.
Sometimes we think: “I will have peace when everything goes exactly as I want.”
But this is not peace, this is control – and it never really works. The peace of God is something different. It is stronger, deeper, more real.

2. The great shalom: God’s peace

In the Bible, the word for peace is “shalom”.
Shalom means much more than “no war”.

Shalom means: – wholeness,
– harmony,
– right relationship with God, with other people, with creation, and also with ourselves.

Shalom is when everything is in the right place, in the right order, under God’s blessing.

a) Isaiah 9: Light and the Prince of Peace

Isaiah speaks to a people who “walked in darkness”.
They know war, injustice, fear.
And into this darkness, a light shines.

He announces a child who will be called: – Wonderful Counsellor,
– Mighty God,
– Everlasting Father,
– Prince of Peace.

His peace is linked with justice and the end of oppression.
Isaiah says that the boots of warriors and the garments rolled in blood will be burned.
This means: God wants to finish the cycle of violence and revenge.

Peace, for God, is not a weak thing.
It is strong. It breaks the power of injustice and fear.

b) Titus 2: Grace that changes us

In the letter to Titus, we hear that “the grace of God has appeared”, bringing salvation to all.
This grace “trains us” to live in a new way:
– to say “no” to sin,
– to live self-controlled, upright, and holy lives.

So peace is not only a gift we receive.
It is also a new way of life that God teaches us.

If I want God’s peace, I must let his grace change my heart: – forgive where I want to hate,
– speak truth where I want to lie,
– be gentle where I want to be hard,
– be generous where I want to keep everything for myself.

There is no true peace without conversion.

c) Luke 2: Peace in a manger, peace in a heart

In the Gospel, the angels sing:
“Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”

Notice something important: – First: glory to God.
– Then: peace on earth.

When God is in his right place – at the center – peace can begin to come.
When we give glory to God, when we adore him, our life begins to find its right order.
This is the beginning of peace.

The shepherds go in haste to Bethlehem and find a child in a manger.
The peace of God is not an idea, it is a person: Jesus.
He is small, poor, vulnerable.
God’s peace arrives in humility and weakness, not in power and noise.

And then we hear about Mary.
She “kept all these things, pondering them in her heart.”

Mary shows us another secret of peace: – She listens,
– She receives,
– She keeps the Word of God in her heart,
– She meditates, she prays.

Peace grows in a heart that listens to God and keeps his Word.

3. How can we receive this peace?

So, how can we receive this peace of Christ, this great shalom?

By looking at Jesus, not only at the problems

The shepherds went to see the child.
They did not stay in the fields talking only about fear and darkness.
They moved. They went to Jesus.

We also can choose:
– Will I look all day at the news, social media, my fears?
– Or will I also look at Christ, listen to his Word, adore him?

By trusting that God is with us

The name of Jesus means “God saves”.
He is Emmanuel, “God with us”.

I can say in my heart:
“Lord, I do not understand everything. I am sometimes afraid.
But I believe you are with me. You are my peace.”

By allowing God to heal our wounds

Many times, the war outside begins with a war inside:
– old hurts,
– anger we carry for years,
– wounds in our family,
– shame, self-hatred.

We can bring these things to Jesus, like the shepherds brought themselves to the manger.
Maybe with the help of a priest, a spiritual guide, or a friend.
His peace is not magic. But if we are honest with him, he begins to heal us.

By letting grace train us

As Titus says, grace trains us.
This training is daily and concrete: – choosing not to answer with an insult,
– asking for forgiveness when we are wrong,
– making time for prayer even when we are tired,
– doing small acts of love in secret.

Every small choice opens our heart more to the peace of Christ.

4. How can we be bearers of this peace?

God does not give us peace only for ourselves.
He wants us to become instruments of his peace.

In our families and community
- With our words: speak gently, not with shouting and sarcasm.
- With our listening: really listen, not only wait to answer.
- With our time: be present, put down the phone, look at the person in front of you.
By forgiving and seeking reconciliation

Maybe there is someone in your family, in your parish, at your work,
with whom you do not speak, or about whom you always speak badly.

Tonight/today you can ask Jesus:
“Show me one step of peace I can make. One call. One message. One ‘I am sorry’.”

Peace begins with small, humble steps.

By being people of hope, not fear

The shepherds returned “glorifying and praising God” for all they had seen.
They became witnesses of peace.

In a world full of bad news and complaints,
we can be people who: – do not spread gossip and fear,
– share signs of hope,
– speak about the good that God is doing.

By carrying Christ inside us, like Mary

Mary carried Jesus in her body and in her heart.
We carry him in our heart, in our faith, and in the Eucharist.

When we leave this church, we do not leave Jesus here.
We take him with us: into our homes, offices, schools, streets.
Where you go, Christ goes.
Where Christ goes, his peace can enter.

5. Conclusion

Brothers and sisters,
in a world of darkness, Jesus is our Prince of Peace.
His peace is not cheap, not superficial.
It is the great shalom of God:
– reconciliation,
– justice,
– mercy,
– a new way of living.

Let us ask for three graces today: 1. To receive the peace of Christ in our own hearts.
2. To be changed by this peace in our way of living.
3. To become bearers of this peace in our families, our parish, our city.

Let us pray:

Lord Jesus, Prince of Peace,
come into our darkness with your light.
Heal our hearts, heal our families, heal our world.
Make us instruments of your peace.
Amen.

Jens Hansen Mastodon

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