In pace locus eius

Peace Within

In writing this morning to a young man, a friend of the priory, I was inspired to translate for him a text of Mother Mectilde de Bar from Easter Tuesday 1665. It is striking that Mother Mectilde, whose life was so marked by wars, unrest, instability, and troubles of all sorts, should write so beautifully of peace. For Mother Mectilde, peace is not the mere absence of conflict, it is the fruit of a mysterious operation of the Holy Ghost abiding in the hearts of those who hold nothing dearer than Christ.

Here is Mother Mectilde’s text:

Let us desire the peace that Jesus Christ gives today to His Apostles: the fruit of His glorious life. This peace is a treasure from heaven; it is found nowhere on earth. It is the presence of Jesus that brings it about. This peace is what sustains the soul. In the  depths of the soul that possesses this tranquility, God contemplates Himself, and leaves an impression of His divine perfections. When Jesus gives His peace to a soul, He gives that soul His spirit; He gives that soul His love. It is a marvelous grace to have this peace, which calms the troubles within, which banishes fear, which keeps the soul in a simple and loving abandonment to the divine operations. What is this peace if not the presence of Jesus and His abode in our hearts? This is why the Holy Ghost resides in the midst of peace, as the prophet assures us, In pace locus ejus (In peace is His abode), and if we have this, the Holy Ghost will send us divine love.

Even in the Thick of Conflict

I have known many souls who think that interior peace means the absence of troubles, struggles, and conflict. Such a peace would be a human construction. The peace that Jesus Christ gives is altogether heavenly and divine.  It is not incompatible with suffering. It descends from above. It shines in the midst of darkness. It is a safe place surrounded by thorns and nettles. It is a sanctuary of silence planted in the thick of conflict. Not for nothing do we Benedictines have as one of our most cherished emblems Pax inter spinas — the depiction of peace in the midst of the crown of thorns.

The Surprise of His Presence

Jesus gives His peace to those who desire it, to those who ask Him for it, to those who wait for Him behind closed doors, paralysed by fear, and tempted to despair. One has only to pronounce His name in faith and, then, to wait in hope, even if one is shrouded in darkness. The Risen Christ surprises us in the places of our deepest gloom. Wait for Him. He will come to you; high walls and locked doors will not keep Him away. You will not be disappointed.