Peace On Earth

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In the Name of the Father, the Son, the Holy Spirit, One God. Amen.

My beloved brethren,

While we celebrate this New Year and the Glorious Feast of the Nativity, I would like each one of us to take measure of the amount of Peace that exists in our lives; the quiet times in which we allow our minds to reflect upon the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ and recapture and live the Peace intended for us through this miraculous, divine event in today's world threatened with wars and rumors of impending wars. Is your life surrounded by the Peace of our Lord? Or does work entanglement, love of social life, competitiveness override your Peace; leaving little or no room at all for it; making the business of "getting ahead" precede Christ's Peace?

The Lord Jesus Christ Himself was not born into peaceful times. Nor did His Holy Birth precipitate peaceful times upon the land. Born during a time for mandatory census, the jealousy of a king that precipitated indiscriminate killing of male infants, and a time of ceaseless oppression for the poor; our Lord's birth did not manifest the Peace the Heavenly Host had proclaimed...

"Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill toward men!" (Luke 2:14).

"Peace on earth" promised Christ's Peace to those who were willing to love and obey God. The Peace brought to this earth was three dimensional: 1) peace between God and man, 2) peace between man and his brother, and 3) peace between man and himself; primarily, peace wrought through reconciling humanity with God the Father and people to each other through belief in and worship of One God.

While a belief in One God is of absolute necessity, it must be combined with a true worship and communion with One God. A true worship, not a "get to Divine Liturgy race before the Holy Bible is read, maybe I can fit in the Vespers after work, or I will not be able to stay for the Midnight Praises because I have plans early tomorrow", type of worship. This is the Feast of beginnings, a time to commit to that true worship.

Many early Christian beliefs, early church doctrines, and early Church congregations, in particular, focused on the essence of One-God worship through an obedient love for the Lord Jesus Christ and abiding in peace. An excerpt from the teachings of Arnobius (c. 330) speaks to this obedient love and abiding in the peace of our Lord Jesus Christ...

An excerpt from the teachings of Arnobius (c. 330) speaks to this obedient love and abiding in the peace of our Lord Jesus Christ...

"You allege that those wars of which you speak were sparked because of hatred of our religion. However it would not be difficult to prove that AFTER THE NAME OF CHRIST WAS HEARD in the world, wars were not increased. In fact, they actually diminished in great measure by the restraining of furious passions. The numerous bands of men as we are, we have learned from His teaching and His laws that evil should not be repaid with evil. Rather, it is better to suffer wrong than to inflict it. We would rather shed our own blood that stains our hands and our conscience with that of another. As a result, an ungrateful world is now enjoying—and for a long period has enjoyed—a benefit from Christ. For by his means, the rage of savage ferocity has been softened and has begun to withhold hostile hands from the blood of a fellow creature. In fact, if all men without exception...would lend an ear for a while to His salutary and peaceful rules,...the whole world would be living in the most peaceful tranquility. The world would have turned the use of steel into more peaceful uses and would unite together in blessed harmony, maintaining inviolate the sanctity of treaties."

Why peace? Peace on earth was brought down to man so that man would know that he is the son of One God. If all men knew they were the sons of One God then there would be peace as the Prince of Peace came to seek and save the lost. The Lord Jesus Christ's mission was to establish peace.

Lactanius (c. 304-313) teaches us,

"If only God were worshipped, there would not be dissensions and wars. For men would know that they are the sons of One God...Why would the just and upright Godly man carry on war and mix himself with the passions of others when his mind is engaged in perpetual peace with men? Further, would he be delighted with foreign merchandise or with human blood—he who does not know how to seek gain? For the Christian is satisfied with his standard of living. He considers it unlawful not only to commit slaughter himself, but also to be present with those who do it."

Lactanius further exhorts,

"If desire is restrained, no one will use violence by land or by sea. No one will lead an army to carry off and lay waste the property of others...For what are the interests of our country but the detriments of another state or nation? To extend the boundaries that are violently taken from others, to increase the power of the state, to improve the revenues—all of that things are not virtues. Rather they are the over throwing of virtues."

Peace had come down to earth in the form of an infant; the form of newness, in the form of creation, in the beating of a pure heart. A Peace one could lift one's eyes up to and see it declared from the Heavens. Indeed, one could feel that Peace in the midst of a humble birth, and in that humble birth anticipate eternity. This Peace was of a pure nature, everlasting, binding and comforting. The peacefulness of love from God the Father, in the form of an Infant Child was for then, now and forever.

Cyprian (c. 250) said,

"The One peaceful and trustworthy tranquility, the One solid, firm, and constant security is this: for a man to withdraw from this whirlpool of a distracting world and to life his eyes from earth to Heaven, anchored on the ground of the harbor of salvation...He who is actually greater than the world can crave nothing or desire nothing from the world. How stable, how free from all shocks is that safeguard. How Heavenly...to be loosed from the snares of this entangling world and to be purged from earthly dregs and be fitted for the light of eternal immortality."

At the presentation of the infant Lord Jesus in the temple, Simon the prophet, after seeing Him, knew with confidence that he could then depart in peace...

"Lord, now You are letting Your servant depart in peace, according to Your word; for my eyes have seen Your salvation which You have prepared before the face of all peoples, a light to bring revelation to the Gentiles, and the glory of Your people Israel" (Luke 2:29-32).

May the Peace of the Lord Jesus Christ dwell within us all during this celebration of His glorious birth, and renew within us the desire to truly worship and glorify Him...

"Bless the Lord all you nations, the tribes, and all kinds of tongues, Praise Him and glorify Him above all forever."

Bishop Youssef
Bishop, Coptic Orthodox Diocese of the Southern United States