The Cure Of Peace

Mακάριοι οἱ εἰρηνοποιοί... Τί ἐστιν ἡ εἰρήνη πρῶτον νοήσωμεν. Τί ἄλλο, ἢ ἀγαπητική τις πρὸς τὸ ὁμόφυλον συνδιάθεσις; τί οὖν ἐστι ἐξ ἐναντίου τῇ ἀγάπῃ νοούμενον; Μῖσος, ὀργὴ, θυμὸς, φθόνος, μνησικακία, ὑπόκρισις, ἡ κατὰ πόλεμον συμφορά. Ὁρᾷς ὅσων καὶ οἴων ἀῤῥωστημάτων ἀντιφάρμακόν ἐστιν ἡ μία φωνή; Ἡ γὰρ εἰρήνη κατὰ τὸ ἴσον ἑκάστῳ τῶν εἰρημένων ἀντικαθίσταται, καὶ ἀφανισμὸν ποιεῖ τοῦ κακοῦ τῇ ἑαυτῆς παρουσίᾳ, Ὡς γὰρ ὑγιείας ἐπιλαβούσης ἡ νόσος ἐξαφανίζεται, καὶ φωτὸς φανέντος οὐχ ὑπολείπεται σκότος· οὕτως καὶ τῆς εἰρήνης ἐπιφανείσης, λύεται πάντα τὰ ἐκ τοῦ ἐναντίου συνιστάμενα πάθη. Τοῦτο δὲ ὅσον ἐστὶν ἀγαθὸν, οὐδὲν οἶμαι χρῆναι διεξιέναι τῷ λόγῳ αὐτός· σὺ κατὰ σεαυτὸν ἐπιλελόγισαι, οἷος ὁ βίος τῶν ἀλλήλους δι' ὑποψίας καὶ μίσους ἐχόντων, ὧν δυσάντητοι μὲν αἱ συντυχίαι, βδελυκτὰ δὲ αὐτοῖς τὰ ἀλλήλων πάντα· ἄφθογγα δὲ τὰ στόματα, καὶ ἀπεστραμμένα τὰ βλέμματα· καὶ ἀκοὴ πεφραγμένη τῇ τοῦ μισοῦντος καὶ μισουμένου φωνῇ. Πᾶν δὲ φίλον ἑκατέρῳ αὐτῶν, ὃ τῷ ἑτέρῳ μὴ φίλον· καὶ ἐκ τοῦ ἐναντίου πᾶν ἐχθρὸν, καὶ πολέμιον, ὃ τῷ δυσμενεῖ καταθύμιον. Ὥσπερ τοίνυν τὰ εὐώδη τῶν ἀρωμάτων, τῆς ἰδίας εὐπνοίας τὸν παρακείμενον ἀέρα πλήρη ποιεῖ· οὕτω σοι βούλεται κατὰ περιουσίαν πλεονάζειν τῆς εἰρήνης τὴν χάριν, ὥστε τὸν σὸν βίον θεραπείαν εἶναι τῆς ἀλλοτρίας νόσου. Ἅγιος Γρηγόριος Νύσσης, Εἰς Τους Μακαρισμους, Logos Z', Mακάριοι οἱ εἰρηνοποιοί, ὅτι αὐτοὶ υἱοὶ θεοῦ κληθήσονται. Source: Migne PG 44.1284b-d

Blessed are the peacemakers...1 Let us first consider what peace is. What but a loving disposition towards one's neighbour. What, then, is considered to be the opposite of love? Hate and wrath, anger and envy, bearing resentment, hypocrisy and strife. Do you see how this one word is an antidote for many different diseases? For peace is equally opposed to all the things mentioned and makes the evils disappear by its presence. Just as sickness vanishes when health arrives, and as no darkness remains when light begins to shine, so it is that with the appearance of peace all the passions connected with its opposite cease. I do not think I need describe in detail how great a good this is. You yourself may consider what sort of life they lead who treat each other with suspicion and hatred. Conversations are difficult, all interaction is despised, tongues are silent, eyes are turned away, and hearing is blocked to the voice of him who hates and is hated. Whatever is dear to the one is not to the other, and conversely, whatever is an enemy and a threat to one pleases the one who bears him ill will. Therefore as it is with the pleasant scent of sweet spices that fill the air around with their fragrance, so He wants the grace of peace to abound fully in you, so that your life may heal the sickness of others. Saint Gregory of Nyssa, On The Beatitudes, from the Seventh Oration, on 'Blessed are the Peacemakers for they shall be called the sons of God.' 1 Mt 5.9