peace stands firm

” While the world changes,
the cross stands firm.”
St. Bruno

(peony / Julie Cook / 2018)

“You must first have peace in your own soul before you can make peace between other people.
Peaceable people accomplish more good than learned people do.
Those who are passionate often can turn good into evil and readily believe the worst.
But those who are honest and peaceful turn all things to good and are suspicious of no one…
It is no test of virtue to be on good terms with easy-going people,
for they are always well liked.
And, of course, all of us want to live in peace and prefer those who agree with us.
But the real test of virtue and deserving of praise is to live at peace with the perverse,
or the aggressive and those who contradict us, for this needs a great grace…
in this mortal life, our peace consists in the humble bearing of suffering and contradictions,
not in being free of them, for we cannot live in this world without adversity.
Those who can best suffer will enjoy the most peace,
for such persons are masters of themselves, lords of the world,
with Christ for their friend, and heaven as their reward.”
Thomas á Kempis, p.72-73
An Except From
Imitation of Christ