When Christ bid farewell to His disciples, He left them with an incomparable legacy: “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you” (Jn 14:27). These words, which resonate through the ages, contain both a promise and a challenge for every believer: to attain and live in the peace of Christ, a peace that transcends the mere absence of conflict and manifests as a deep state of order and harmony in the soul, born of the love of God and the practice of virtue.
Peace as Tranquility in Order
St. Thomas Aquinas defines peace as “tranquility in order” (Summa Theologica, II-II, q. 29, a. 3). This classical definition introduces us to the understanding of peace not merely as an external state of quietness, but as the calm that arises from the just order of things, both in the cosmos and in the human soul. According to Thomas, peace is the natural result of justice and charity: “The peace of the interior man consists in the orderly arrangement of his desires, which rest in a single object” (Summa Theologica, II-II, q. 29, a. 3). In other words, peace arises when every aspect of life is correctly oriented towards its ultimate end, God.
Joseph Pieper expands this vision by stating that true peace is not something man can construct by his own efforts, but rather a gift from God that we must receive with humility and gratitude. For Pieper, the peace of Christ is the peace of the “City of God,” a peace that is fully realized only to the extent that man lives according to the divine order, in harmony with his Creator and with his neighbor. Pieper warns that any attempt to achieve peace without reference to God is doomed to failure, for “without justice, there is no peace” (Peace in the City of God).
Peace as an Expression of Love for God
Danilo Castellano, in his work What Is Peace?, takes up the Thomistic tradition and develops it in a contemporary context, emphasizing the inseparability of peace and love for God. Castellano argues that true peace can only be achieved when man recognizes and accepts his radical dependence on God. “Peace is the fruit of justice, but justice is rooted in the love of God. Without this love, any peace is superficial and temporary” (What Is Peace?).
For Castellano, the peace that Christ offers is above all a reconciliation with God, which is manifested in daily life through charity and the fulfillment of the divine will. This peace is a gift that the world cannot give because it neither understands nor accepts the divine order. Only in Christ, and through a life of prayer and sacraments, can man attain the peace that surpasses all understanding (Phil 4:7).
Peace in Daily Life
Patricio Horacio Randle, in his San Fernando Speech, underscores the importance of living the peace of Christ in daily life. For Randle, peace is not an unattainable utopia, but a reality that is built through concrete acts of virtue and charity. “The true challenge for the Christian is to translate interior peace into actions that reflect the love of God and neighbor” (San Fernando Speech).
This practical approach is grounded in the doctrine of St. Thomas, who asserts that peace is inseparable from the virtue of charity. Charity, as the love of God above all things and of neighbor for the love of God, is what guarantees the peace of the soul. “The proper effect of charity is peace; for according to charity we love God above all things, and in Him we order all else, so that all our affections rest in a single end” (Summa Theologica, II-II, q. 29, a. 3).
Peace as the Path to Salvation
The peace of Christ, far from being a mere emotional state, is a path to salvation. According to Castellano, living in peace means living in conformity with the divine order, which inevitably leads us to eternal life. “The peace of Christ is not the absence of conflict, but the assurance that, in the midst of trials, we are in the hands of God” (What Is Peace?).
St. Thomas adds that peace is the final result of justice and charity operating in the soul: “Just as peace consists in the tranquility of order, and order involves the proper disposition of things, peace in man arises when all his faculties are subordinated to reason and reason to God” (Summa Theologica, II-II, q. 29, a. 3).
Conclusion: True Peace as the Source of Joy and Salvation
At the end of our lives, what will truly matter is the love of God and the charity we have cultivated. The peace that Christ gives us is the mature fruit of that love. It is not a peace achieved through isolated human efforts, but a peace that flows from a life lived in the grace and truth of God.
The peace of Christ is the deep calm of the soul that has found its rest in God. It is the joy of knowing that, in the midst of the tribulations of the world, we are secure in the hands of our Creator. As Castellano says, “The peace that the world cannot give is the one that springs from the heart that lives in the presence of God and in conformity with His will” (What Is Peace?).
Living in this peace is the greatest testimony we can give to the world of the living presence of Christ in our lives. It is, ultimately, the true source of joy and the key to our salvation, Pax Tecum.
Bibliograph
1. St. Thomas Aquinas
• Summa Theologica, II-II, q. 29, a. 3.
• Summa Theologica, II-II, q. 28, a. 3-4.
• De Veritate, q. 12, a. 3.
2. Danilo Castellano
• “What Is Peace?” Verbo, nos. 301-302 (1992), 93-107. Fundación Speiro.
• The Foundations of Peace According to the Christian Tradition. Madrid: Speiro, 1998.
3. Joseph Pieper
• The Four Cardinal Virtues. Madrid: Rialp, 1963.
• Peace in the City of God. Trans. Luis Vives. Madrid: Ediciones Palabra, 1981.
4. Patricio Horacio Randle
• “Speech at San Fernando 1983.” Fundación Speiro. Madrid, 1983.
• Trends Toward the Deconstruction of the Contemporary City. Fundación Speiro, 1992.
Posts
