A Reflection on Peace by Julia Saunders

When you think of peace, what comes to mind? What is it that we pray for, exactly, when we come to God asking for peace? Maybe what comes to mind is a quiet moment on the beach as the sun begins to set. For someone else it might be an afternoon spent reading at a coffee shop on a beautiful fall day. Or a day of creating art, or wandering casually through an arboretum. On the other hand… when our world seems to be characterized by desolation and despair, does our vision of peace simply become, the absence of war? The ability to live without fear of violence or cruelty, or abuse? This is something that I have been reflecting on myself recently, and I have realized that “peace” is something I find easier to grasp when I can first name what it is not. What I mean is:

Peace is not an absence of conflict, but a continual wrestling towards justice that seeks to honor the dignity of all.

Peace is not always comfortable. In many cases it requires sincere humility, willingness to step outside comfort zones, and mutual efforts to build bridges and break down barriers that divide.

Peace is not complacency, or a quiet acceptance that “this is just the way things are.” It is a refusal to take anything for granted, and a continuous desire to learn from one another and grow together in community.

Peace is not silence, but an amplification of the voices whose experiences are least understood, and most often overlooked. It is solidarity with those whose heartaches often go unnoticed.

Peace is not a world without suffering, but a world where neighbors, friends, family, and community show up to ensure that one does not bear their suffering alone.

Peace is not passive. It is choosing love in place of judgment, kindness over contempt, and pushing back against language that feeds hatred and division.

Peace is not indifference to war. It is a steadfast commitment to non-violence, and the realization that even when a war is declared over, it is never truly over for those who have lost their lives, their innocence, or their loved ones.

Peace is not a lack of differences. It is celebrating and embracing the gifts that are unique to each of us, and recognizing that one does not have to “fit in” in order to belong.

Peace is not ambivalence. It is confidence in Christ’s example of loving kindness and compassion to all who are in need.

Peace is not fostered by the headlines of mainstream news outlets. It is cultivated in quiet contemplation, in thoughtful exchanges between strangers, in quality time with those we love, and in our encounters with Jesus through the Holy Spirit and the Eucharist.

Peace is not boring, dull, or necessarily quiet. It is characterized by living fully, by joy, laughter, trust, friendship, love and belonging.

Peace does not come easily. Peace requires careful discernment to understand what is just, and courage to speak up or act when we recognize injustice.

Peace is not an absence of pain; it is solidarity with those who suffer. It is the realization that when one of us is hurt, all of us are wounded.

Peace is not softness and fragility; it is gentle yet fierce; tenacity of hope and resilience of heart.

Peace is not fear of an enemy, but love for the stranger.

Peace does not happen on its own. It requires something of all of us.

When I think of it this way, I realize - peace is pretty radical. When I pray for peace, I pray for - in the words of Dorothy Day - a “revolution of the heart.” For myself, for those I love, for those who are hurting and for all who promote or turn a blind eye to injustice. I pray for our hearts to break open in solidarity with those in our lives and in our world who are facing injustice. I pray that we all be guided by the Holy Spirit to work towards unity among the universal human family, starting in our own corner of the world.

I once heard someone say, “Peace begins in the heart by welcoming the peace that is Christ.” As we gather tonight as individuals, as friends, as a community representing a small portion of the mystical body of Christ, I would like to invite each of us into some time of personal encounter with Jesus, one on one, as faith tells us he is truly present to each of us in the Blessed Sacrament. In addition to our personal intentions, I encourage each of us tonight to pray for peace and healing of brokenness within each of our hearts, in our relationships, our neighborhoods and communities, our nation and world, and for greater courage in answering God’s call to partner with God in building a more just and gentle world for all.

Shared during Holy Hour for Peace on February 4, 2026