A Perplexing Peace

A Reflection on the Second Reading for December 16th, 2018:
Third Sunday of Advent

Philippians 4:4-7

4 Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. 5 Let all men know your forbearance. The Lord is at hand. 6 Have no anxiety about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which passes all understanding, will keep your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

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Saint Paul wrote the last of his epistles from his prison cell in Rome to the Philippians, a people who He loved. What is striking about this scripture passage from Philippians, is that it is short but so loaded with meaning and messages, that we need to pause and reflect on each line in the passage.

Firstly, Paul uses the word “rejoice”. He does not say “be happy”, or “be glad”, or “be positive”. The word “rejoice” connotes a deep feeling of a joy that is so profound — a joy that is rooted in the Lord.

Secondly, the word “gentleness” does not simply mean to be soft or patient. It suggests a kind of confidence that we exude because the Lord is there with us, which allows us to be understanding and calm in the face of crisis. Everyone around us will notice this quality in us if we have it.

Thirdly, we are being told to let God know “everything” in prayer and supplication. There is nothing that we cannot talk to God about in prayer, and nothing that we cannot “request” from Him in supplication. We are to do this with an attitude of thanksgiving for whatever He grants us.

Lastly, the “peace” of God is a gift He gives us in our relationship with Him. Of course we cannot explain nor fully comprehend how, that when we are besieged by challenges in life, we can remain unfazed. We are able to go through life with a tranquility and a serenity that only God can give us. This peace allows our hearts and minds to be settled in Jesus Christ.

"[T]he “peace” of God is a gift He gives us in our relationship with Him. Of course we cannot [f]ully comprehend how, that when we are besieged by challenges in life, we can remain unfazed. We are able to go through life with [a] serenity that only God can give us."

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We often say that it is difficult to surrender ourselves fully to God. For some reason we want to retain our control over things; over our life, over the lives of our children or the people who we influence, and even to control God as we ask Him to do things that we desire — expecting our prayers will be answered our way.

When we surrender to God, we develop the kind of faith, hope, and trust in God which will make our struggles in life feel less daunting. Our hurts will be bearable and our failures will allow us to harvest the lessons learned. God holds our hands during these times. We can then say that we rejoice in spite of the challenges, for we know that we have a powerful God who has our back.

Romans 8:31 says, “If God is for us, who can be against us.” This is a most often quoted line from the Bible, which is so reassuring. When we feel this confidence, then we can rejoice despite difficulties. We can be a source of inspiration even when we are not feeling the best, and we can rest from worries and anxieties and feel a peace that only God can give us.

​Liz Venezuela

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