BE STILL MY SOUL

A REFLECTION FOR THE 8TH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST 

Is my soul truly at peace?  In the midst of turmoil, can I find the peace of mind, the peace of soul, within myself?   There are two answers to these questions, two very basic answers, “Yes,” or “No.”  If our answer is in the affirmative, it confirms that we are on the path to salvation, or at least that we think we are.  If negative, then I’m afraid there is something lacking in our lives that must be put right.

There is one truth but many lies.  “Two plus two equals four.”  Four is the only correct answer.  But there is an infinite number of wrong answers.  Life is the same.  There is one simple answer to finding peace in our lives.  It is to be in the state of grace.  When we are in that state of grace we are the living temples of the Holy Ghost, we have God himself dwelling within us.  When we look inside of ourselves it is God that we shall find and the peace that comes from his presence, that peace on earth that is the reward of men of good will.  Unfortunately, there is an infinite variety of apparent “good things” that seek to entice us away from that state of grace.  We seek pleasure, ownership, money, power; we look for independence when we should obey authority, self-indulgence when we should desire penance and reparation for our sins.  Wherever we turn there is something, someone, to beckon us away from our true happiness in God, and no matter which we choose, we shall never find that true peace that comes only from God.

All of us yield to temptation at some point, in one form or another.  We offend the God whose presence we should cherish above all things.  The result?  We lose our peace.  Thankfully, God has given us the Sacrament of Penance by which we can welcome him back into our soul and restore the peace he brings.  But if there’s one thing that God has entrusted to us that we should at all costs preserve and nurture and take care of, it is our soul.  No matter what, we must always strive to keep it in the state of grace. 

“But Father,” you might object, “isn’t it selfish to want the state of grace just so that we can have peace of mind?  Shouldn’t we want the state of grace purely out of the love of God?”  Yes, of course we should.  Nevertheless, this is a part of what our Lord meant by making friends with the mammon of unrighteousness.  Even if we keep our state of grace out of selfish reasons, the fact is, we’re still in the state of grace and on the path of salvation.  We can still go to heaven even if our motivation is simply to get there and avoid hell.  Whatever the reason for staying out of mortal sin, the important thing is to stay out of it.  You’re entitled to the peace of mind it brings.