“Glory to God in the highest, peace, good will among all.” - Luke 2:14 (The Nativity of Christ)

Reflection: If the whole world was at peace, would our inner selves be at peace too?  Even if the world was at peace, we would feel unrest because human beings by nature need inner peace: peace of the soul and of the heart.  Inner peace(1) is only from God.  God gives us this peace on Christmas day, restored from what we had lost in the Fall from Paradise. 

But this peace is not given to us for one day only, we are able to experience the peace of Christmas every day. Every time that we: go to the Sacrament of Confession, repent for our sins, pray, are humble, love others , forgive, partake of Holy Communion, worship God, or say the “Lord Jesus Christ have mercy on me a sinner” from our heartfelt love - we will feel and experience inner peace, the peace of God.(2)  

The world heals one heart at a time. When we encounter God this way, in His Peace, we are grounded and have a sense of serenity about us. Other people will come to know His Peace through our way of life. Other people will feel that sense of ‘coming home’, coming into contact with Christ.

Let us enter into the peace, consolation, joy, and rest of our Lord this Christmas, and in so doing become beacons of His Peace into the world.

References:

1) New Testament References to Peace
2) Archimandrite George, Monastery of Gregoriou Mt Athos, Ομιλίες σε Ακίνητες Δεσποτικές και Θεομητορικές Εορτές (των ετών 1981-1991) Α' (Άδετο), pg 55-56