The Easter season is a time to renew ourselves in the basic Christian virtues that grow out of our experience of the risen Christ in our daily lives. St Paul calls the basic virtues faith, hope, and love (charity). Peace comes from those virtues. Our capacity to live in peace with God and with others is a basic measure of Christian community.
It is easy to forget the centrality of peace in our lives as Christians. I ministered many years in an area dominated by Marxist ideology and Maoist terrorist activity. The dialectic of opposites is central to Marxist thinking and life. There must be conflict and armed revolution to achieve justice. This attitude of violent opposition towards others carried through to all aspects of life and relationships. When talking to someone with Marxist tendencies in personal conversations or listening to comments at group meetings, their violent intent and lack of consideration for others usually became obvious rather quickly. This comes from a deep lack of hope and profound sense of despair.
The Christian community is a clear example of the opposite. To prepare the disciples for his passion, death and resurrection, Jesus announces to them at the Last Supper that they will continue on living in his peace. That peace that comes from his relationship within the Holy Trinity.
The diligent work of the Christian community for social justice, societal reform, personal relations with others, and personal conversion is characterized by peace. This is a sign of the risen Christ in our lives. The world we have created for ourselves is clouded and twisted by violence and egoism. The Christian community is a sign of God’s beautiful creation of peace and communion. We are Easter people.
Take some time to review your form of relating to others and how you work to achieve reform and change in your life. Also ask yourself about the signs that your family and community show to others. Do violence, imposition of your will, egoism, gossiping, disrespect of others, rejection, mudslinging, political intrigue, or condemning judgments form part of your lifestyle? Are you, your family, or your local faith community signs of faith, hope and charity through an abiding dedication to peace?
Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you.
Not as the world gives do I give it to you.
Do not let your hearts be troubled or afraid.
Image: CANVA CJ Dunn 02 Mass2026 AI generated.