Peace And Peacemakers

Beati pacifici, quoniam filii Dei vocabuntur. Beatitudo ista, dilectissimi, non cujuslibet consensionis, nec qualiscumque concordiae est, sed illius de qua dicit Apostolus: Pacem habete ad Deum: et de qua dicit propheta David: Pax multa diligentibus legem tuam, et non est illis scandalum. Hanc pacem etiam arctissima amicitiarum vincula, et indiscretae similitudines animorum non veraciter sibi vindicant, si non cum Dei voluntate concordant. Extra dignitatem hujus pacis sunt improbarum parilitates cupiditatum, foedera scelerum et pacta vitiorum. Amor mundi cum Dei amore non congruit, nec ad societatem filiorum Dei pervenit, qui se a carnali generatione non dividit. Qui autem semper cum Deo mente sunt solliciti servare unitatem spiritus in vinculo pacis, numquam ab aeterna lege dissentiunt, fideli oratione dicentes: Fiat voluntas tua sicut in coelo et in terra. Hi sunt pacifici, hi bene unanimes, sancteque concordes, vocandi aeterno nomine filii Dei, cohaeredes autem Christi: quia hoc merebitur dilectio Dei et dilectio proximi, ut nullas jam adversitates sentiat, nulla scandala pertimescat; sed finito omnium tentationum certamine, in tranquillissima Dei pace requiescat, per Dominum nostrum, qui cum Patre et Spiritu sancto vivit et regnat in saecula saeculorum. Amen. Sanctus Leo Magnus, Sermo XCV, De Gradibus Ascensionis Ad Beatitudinem Source: Migne PL 54.465b-466a

'Blessed are the peace-makers, for they shall be called the sons of God.' 1 This blessedness, most beloved, belongs not to any type agreement or harmony, but is that of which the Apostle speaks: 'have peace towards God.' 2 And concerning which the Prophet David speaks: 'Much peace have those who love your law, and they have no scandal. 3 This peace even the closest bonds of friendship and the most exact similarity of mind do not truly achieve, if they do not accord with God's will. Outside the dignity of this peace are similarity of shameful desires, association in crimes, pacts in vice. The love of the world does not agree with the love of God, nor does he enter into the alliance of the sons of God who will not separate himself from the carnal generation. However they who always have God in mind, 'anxious to guard the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace,' 4 never dissent from the eternal law, speaking that prayer of the faithul: 'Your will be done as in heaven so on earth.' 5These are the peacemakers, these are rightly of one mind and in sacred harmony, who are to be called 'sons of God and fellow heirs with Christ,' 6 because this love of God and the love of neighbour shall merit that we shall feel no calamities now, and fear no scandals, but when comes the end of all trials, there is rest in God's most undisturbed peace, through our Lord, who, with the Father and the Holy Spirit, lives and reigns for ever and ever. Amen. Pope Leo the Great, from Sermon 95, On The Steps Of Ascension to Blessedness 1 Mt 5.9 2 Rom 5.1, 2 Cor 13.11 3 Ps 118.16 4 Ephes 4.3 5 Mt 6.10 6 Rom 8.17