Strength and Peace

Κύριος ἰσχὺν τῷ λαῷ αὐτοῦ δώσει· Κύριος εὐλογήσει τὸν λαὸν αὐτοῦ ἐν εἰρήνῃ.  Ἀπὸ μὲν τοῦ ἁμαρτωλοῦ λαοῦ ἀφελεῖ Κύριος ἰσχύον τα καὶ ἰσχύουσαν, τῷ δὲ δικαιοπραγοῦντι δίδωσιν ἰσχύν. Διότι 'Τώ ἔχοντι παντὶ δοθήσεται.' Ἐνδυναμωθεὶς δὲ πρὸς τὴν τῶν ἀγαθῶν ἔργων ἐνέργειαν, ἄξιος γίνεται τῆς ἀπὸ τοῦ Θεοῦ εὐλογίας. Ἔοικε δὲ τελειοτάτη των εὐλογιῶν εἶναι ἡ ἐιρήνη, εὐστάθεια τις οὖσα τοῦ ἡγεμονικοῦ· ὥστε τὸν εἰρηνικὸν ἄνδρα ἐν τῷ κατεστάλθαι τὰ ἥθη χαρακτηρίζεσθαι· τὸν δὲ πολεμούμενον ὑπὸ τῶν παθῶν μήπω τῆς ἀπὸ Θεοῦ εἰρήνης μετεσχηκέναι, ἥν ὁ Κύριος ἔδωκε τοῖς ἑαυτοῦ μαθηταῖς, ἥτις, ὑπερέχουσα πάντα νοῦν, φρουρήσει τὰς ψυχὰς τῶν ἀξίων. Ταύτην καὶ ὁ Ἀπόστολος ἐπεύχεται ταῖς Ἐκκλησίαις, λέγων· ' Κάρις ὑμῖν καὶ εἰρήνη πληθυνθείη.' Γένοιτο οὖν ἡμῖν καλῶς ἀγωνισαμένοις, καὶ τὸ φρόνημα τῆς σαρκὸς κατατρεψαμένοις, ὅ ἐστιν ἔχθρα εἰς Θεὸν, ἐν γαληνιώσει καὶ ἀκύμονι καταστάσει τῆς ψυχῆς γενομένης, εἰρήνης ἡμᾶς υἱοὺς χρηματίζειν, καὶ τῆς εὐλογίας τοῦ Θεοῦ μετασχεῖν ἐν εἰρήνῃ. Ἅγιος Βασίλειος ὁ Μέγας, Ὁμιλία Ἐις Τους Ψαλμούς, Εἰς Τον ΚΗ' Ψαλμον

The Lord shall give strength to his people, the Lord shall bless his people in peace. 1  From a sinful people the Lord takes away strength and firmness, 2 and He gives strength to the doers of righteousness. For to everyone who has it shall be given 3 That one has contributed to the perfection of good works makes one worthy of blessings from God. And that which seems to be the most perfect blessing is peace, a firmness of the leading faculty, the mind, and so the character of the peaceful man is a tranquility of behaviour and manners, against whom are opposed by their passions those who do not participate in the peace of God, which peace the Lord gave to his disciples when he supplied them with every understanding,4 watching over the souls of those worthy. This the Apostle understands saying, Grace to you and peace multiplied. 5 So after contending well, having routed carnal affection, which is inimical to God, having established the soul in tranquility and quiet, we are called sons of peace, 6 and in peace we are made participants of the blessing of God. Saint Basil of Caesarea, Homilies on the Psalms, Psalm 28 1 Ps 28.11  2 cf Isa 3.1  3 Mt 25.29  4 Philipp 4.7  5 1 Pet 1.2   6 cf Mt 5.9