Finding Peace

A Reflection on the Second Reading for Sunday, May 31st, 2026:
Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity

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​2 Corinthians
13.11-13

Brothers and sisters, put things in order, listen to my appeal, agree with one another, live in peace; and the God of love and peace will be with you. Greet one another with a holy kiss. All the saints greet you.

The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with all of you.​​
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Pause. Pray. Reflect.

My first reading of this passage made me frustrated. Peter’s words seem so easy to say yet so hard to do in practice. “Agree with one another, live in peace” feels like an impossible standard in today’s world, which seems to encourage division. So, I turned to the Catechism of the Catholic Church for some practical advice on how to follow Peter’s instruction. 

CCC 1931 states that we must look upon our neighbour as “another self.” When I view people as “another self” it makes me think about how they and I share the same mission. Whether they know it or not, their ultimate goal is to achieve sainthood. There is solidarity in this shared mission, and it makes me want to help others achieve it. However, we are not always going to agree on how to go about achieving sainthood, which is okay! This common ground makes it so that we can live as brothers and sisters in Christ. 

Of course, it is easiest to agree and live in peace with those who are actively choosing Christ or who are at the very least choosing the values that He emulates. But what about those who choose to do evil? How can I live in peace with these people? The Catechism (1933) states: “Liberation in the spirit of the Gospel is incompatible with hatred of one’s enemy as a person, but not with the hatred of the evil that he does as an enemy.” In other words, we can condemn their actions, but we still must love them for their potential. No matter the depth of their sin, God can still raise them to sainthood, and for that we must “greet them with a holy kiss.” Sometimes, all that might look like is praying for them. 

I often need to remind myself that every person on the planet is a child of God and that they are loved just because they exist. My love and compassion for others will always fall short, but thankfully none of us don’t have to rely on our own strength. We have the “grace of the Lord Jesus, the love of God and the communion of the Holy Spirit” to bolster us. It is because of the power of God that we may one day see world peace. 



Ronnie Noonan-Birch

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