Have you ever been surrounded by a whirlwind of activity, perhaps in the midst of family and friends, and felt a sudden whoosh of deep contentment? This is what Pope Francis is talking about when he refers to a “joyful peace.” It’s the swirling flow of a dance, the soaring notes of a symphony.
Too often when we imagine peace, we think that it needs to be perfect stillness. If we’re honest, we think that we might be a little bit bored with peace. When we reflect on the life of the Lord in the Gospels, we realize he was almost always in motion: walking, preaching, teaching, healing, eating, and drinking. Even when he went off to deserted places to pray, one imagines that he was in an active communion with his Father.
—from Franciscan Spirit’s “Peaceful Mind, Joyful Heart“
by Diane M. Houdek
