Day 301: Peace

Respect for and development of human life require peace. Peace is not merely the absence of war, and it is not limited to maintaining a balance of power between adversaries. Peace cannot be attained on earth without safeguarding the goods of persons, free communication among men, respect for the dignity of persons and peoples, and the assiduous practice of fraternity. Peace is "the tranquility of order." Peace is the work of justice and the effect of charity. CCC 2304

In today's reading, the Catechism addresses one of the most elusive concepts for humanity: peace. This is not just the "absence of war," but a true peace that respects the dignity of all men in harmony with the will of the Prince of Peace (Is 9:6). The 20th century witnessed some of the most deadly conflicts in human history, as well as widespread persecutions. Christians were brutalized and martyred in numbers not seen since the days of the Roman Empire. The 21st century doesn't seem to be doing much better so far. In all of this, a lack of charity for our fellow man has harmed the pursuit of real peace. Even bringing this down to the personal level, how many times have we nurtured hatred or a desire for revenge in our hearts? To cultivate peace, we must not only do so within ourselves but also for others. That may be a big part, so one by one until it spreads over the whole world.

The Catechism Compendium summarizes what the Lord asks of each of us concerning peace:

The Lord proclaimed, “Blessed are the peacemakers” (Matt 5:9). He called for peace of heart and denounced the immorality of anger, which is a desire for revenge for some evil suffered. He also denounced hatred, which leads one to wish evil on one’s neighbor. These attitudes, if voluntary and consented to in matters of great importance, are mortal sins against charity. (#480)

The Catechism Companion Vol III has some excellent commentary on this:

Emotions, in themselves, are neither right nor wrong... To say we want justice because justice is a good idea does not wound our soul. To say we desire to forgive because forgiveness is an amazing good does not wound our soul. But to say we want to make this person pay because of a thirst for revenge that is in our heart, that actually wounds our soul. That kind of anger does not lead to justice; it leads to further violence and hatred. If we cultivate a hatred of someone, we wound ourselves. Jesus calls us to live a life of peace, to forgive our enemies, to love our enemies, to pray for those who hurt us. (p. 118)