Living in Peace

Whoever would love life and see good days must keep the tongue from evil and the lips from speaking deceit.

1 Peter 3:10 (NABRE)

In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus gave a teaching very similar to Peter's: "Do to others as you would have them do to you" (Matthew 7:12). With this teaching, Jesus calls us to live in harmony with our neighbor and to seek peace with all. Peter expands on this point by stating that if we want to live peacefully and happily, we must control our words and guard our tongue.

It often happens that a simple word, which we deem insignificant, can hurt a loved one or even destroy their reputation. In doing so, we unknowingly create an enemy, and sometimes even more. Because depending on our words and the person to whom we address them, they can have an impact on many people who feel affected. We then find ourselves in a difficult situation. Imagine if this happened to you with a member of your congregation. No one would feel more at ease in your presence.

Even when angry, it's always good not to use offensive words to provoke others. To you, it may be just an expression of anger, but to the person you're talking to, it's much more than that. Follow Jesus' example: bless those who curse you and do good to those who hate you. In this way, you will attract God's blessing and live in peace with those around you.

May God's grace and peace be with you all.