“When At Peace…All Is Well With My Soul”

When I’m at peace, all is well with my soul. The outward situation may be lousy, but if I’m at peace, all is well with my soul. On the contrary, I could have just won the lottery and if I’m “out of peace”, all is not well with my soul. 

I just read a brief letter written by a priest to his parents; he was to be killed by the Nazis the following morning. When asked what state he was in, he replied “I can only answer, I am first in a joyous mood, and second filled with great anticipation.” That was his answer knowing he was to be beheaded in the morning.

With that in mind, no one can take our peace away…. we can only give it away. It’s the same with our joy and other fruits of the Holy Spirit. No one can take them from us.  As St. Paul reminds us, “ rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. Let all men know your forbearance. The Lord is at hand. Have no anxiety about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which passes all understanding, will keep your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” (Phil. 4:7)

Blessed Hermann Lange, the priest mentioned above, went on to say, “ tomorrow is the end to all suffering and all earthly sorrow for me,  where God will wipe away every tear from my eye…. the greatest day of my life; the thing that up to this time I have been permitted to preach about, I shall now see…. the day on which  I return to the home of my father….. how could I fail to be excited and full of anticipation.” (Magnificat, 5-11-22)

That’s our belief also. In truth we are living for that day when the hopes and rewards of following Christ will be fulfilled. On that day, the transitory things of this world will disappear like the morning mist. Wars, rumors of war, murder and strife, poverty, sickness and death, suffering, heartache, disappointments, sin …. will come to an end. 

In the meantime, what are we to do?  Well in the meantime, we must trust in the Lord…. trust in his care and provision and mercy and forgiveness… trust that all will be well. And let’s remember to think right. As Pope John Paul II prayed every morning…..O, Holy Spirit love of the Father & Son inspire me in how to think.

And how should  we think? “Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is gracious, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. (Phil. 4:8)  Aaaahhhhhhh, I’m feeling much more peaceful.