Peace wishers or Peacemakers?
St. Francis of Assisi mentions that the Lord revealed he should greet people in this way, “May the Lord give you peace.” Commenting on these words, Pope Leo XIV says Francis “conveys to his friars and to every believer the inner wonder that the Gospel had brought into his life: peace is the sum of all God’s gifts, a gift that comes from above. What an illusion it would be to think that it can be built by human efforts alone! And yet it is an active gift, to be welcomed and lived every day” (January 10, 2026 Letter to Ministers General of the Conference of the Franciscan Family).
St. Francis of Assisi mentions that the Lord revealed he should greet people in this way, “May the Lord give you peace.” Commenting on these words, Pope Leo XIV says Francis “conveys to his friars and to every believer the inner wonder that the Gospel had brought into his life: peace is the sum of all God’s gifts, a gift that comes from above. What an illusion it would be to think that it can be built by human efforts alone! And yet it is an active gift, to be welcomed and lived every day” (January 10, 2026 Letter to Ministers General of the Conference of the Franciscan Family).
The sum of all God’s gifts. Aren’t we in great need of this gift today? We pray for peace in the world amid great conflict and turmoil. We pray for peace in our families with the many divisions that we experience. We pray for peace in our souls as we struggle with the noise, despair, and frustration that so mark our daily existence. We all want peace. In this Jubilee Year of St. Francis called for by Pope Leo, we pray that each of us might be channels of peace. But we know that it is difficult to be a channel of peace when so much of what we consume on news channels steals away our peace or prevents it from ever taking root.
St. Paul tells us that Christ Jesus makes peace through the blood of his cross. (Colossians 1:20) Peace does not come by putting two fingers up. That is to wish for peace, which is not a bad thing. We should wish for peace. But to make peace is another matter. Peace is not made by putting two fingers up but by two beams being put up, the beams of the cross on which hung the salvation of the world. Peace is not the absence of conflict, much less the avoidance of conflict. It is not apathy. Jesus stepped into the conflict with all the passionate love burning in his Sacred Heart so that peace might not only be wished but that it might be made by the one alone who could bring it- the Prince of Peace.
How can we be peacemakers in our daily life? Channels of peace like the great St. Francis?
First, channels must be received in order to flow to others. The peace Francis had was a gift of God, resulting from the inner wonder of the Gospel. It is the love and mercy of God that we continually receive that enables us to be channels of peace to those with whom we interact. St. Paul said, “Have no anxiety about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving make your requests known to God. And the peace of God which surpasses all understanding will keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:6-7)
Second, discern between problems and annoyances. Some things we do need to bring up to make peace, things that drive wedges in relationships. However, there are also annoyances that we deal with that do not necessarily need to be brought up. Be careful about turning annoyances into problems. When things are brought up, do so with charity and assuming the best of intentions rather than assigning motives to others.
Third, ask yourself in bringing up issues, “am I interested in making this right, or in being proved right?” Seek humility. The peaceful person conquers because there is nothing he is afraid of losing and nothing he feels pressure to win.
At every Mass, we hear “the peace of the Lord be with you always.” We do not pray or ask for things which are not possible. Jesus has brought us peace. Let’s receive this gift and channel it to others. May the Lord give you peace!
Father Andy Laframboise is pastor of St. Elizabeth of Hungary Parish in Reese and St. Frances Xavier Cabrini Parish in Vassar and director of priestly vocations. He holds a licentiate in Sacred Theology in Marriage and Family Studies from the Pontifical John Paul II Institute for Studies on Marriage and Family.
