杏MAP导航 at Audience: True peacemakers always seek reconciliation
By Lydia O'Kane
True inner tranquility flows from 鈥渢he peace of Christ that comes from His Cross and generates humanity anew.鈥
Those were the 杏MAP导航鈥檚 words on Wednesday during his Weekly General Audience livestreamed from the Vatican Library.
Types of Peace
In order to understand this seventh Beatitude, 'blessed are the peacemakers' noted 杏MAP导航 Francis, 鈥渢he word peace needs to be explained, because it can be misunderstood or become meaningless.鈥
Focusing on two ideas of peace, the 杏MAP导航 said that one kind can be seen in the biblical term 鈥楽halom鈥, which signifies an abundant, or flourishing life. A second idea, he commented, is the modern notion of interior serenity. But 杏MAP导航 Francis underlined that this second type of peace is incomplete since spiritual growth often occurs precisely when one鈥檚 tranquility has somehow been disturbed.
The peace of Christ
鈥淲e must remember鈥 underlined the Pontiff, 鈥渢hat the Lord means that His peace is different from that of the human one.
The peace of Christ, he explained, is a fruit of his Death and Resurrection. The 杏MAP导航 went on to say that the Lord bestows his gift not as the world does, where 鈥榩eace鈥 is often purchased at the expense of others, but by destroying hostility in his own person.
鈥淲e have to at least suspect that in the globalized context, composed primarily of economic interests, the 鈥榩eace鈥 desired by some corresponds to the 鈥榳ar鈥 of others. This is not the peace of Christ鈥, the 杏MAP导航 said.
杏MAP导航 Francis stressed that the path to accomplish this peacemaking is Jesus鈥 body. 鈥淗e, in fact, reconciles all things and makes peace with the blood of His cross.鈥
True peacemakers
Who are the 鈥減eacemakers鈥, then? The 杏MAP导航 answered this question by saying that they are people 鈥渨ho have learned the art of peace and practice it, they know that there is no reconciliation without the gift of one's life, and that peace must be sought always and in every case鈥. Those who do this, he said, are true children of God and show us the way of true happiness.
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