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"If there is righteousness in the heart, there will be beauty in the character.
If there is beauty in the character, there will be harmony in the home.
If there is harmony in the home, there will be order in the nation.
If there is order in the nation, there will be peace in the world."   (Confucius)

Peace is allowing the Lord in and where the Lord resides there is no room for hatred, anger, despair or self-loathing. To be at peace is the most joyful of situations. To have a mind and heart at peace with their God and creator leaves one open to all that is good and closes the door on all that is evil. A peaceful heart sees the goodness in others, recognises the dignity of others, allows for the differences of others and acknowledges the rights of others.

Peace is that most precious of gifts and one which we should pray for every day, starting with ourselves and reaching out to include others. A peaceful home is a blessed home, a peaceful workplace is a happy workplace, a peaceful nation is a thriving nation.

Is it any wonder then that the Lord cries out for peace through his Beloved Mother in every place She has ever 'visited'. Peace is the one thing Mary requests over all others in Medugorje. Peace within all hearts will change the whole course of the world and world history. In our prayers we need to focus on peace in the hearts of all leaders, for in peace they will forgive and in forgiveness wars will end.

Saint Augustine wrote the following on peace:

"Peace should be the object of your desire; war should be waged only as a necessity, and waged only that God may by it deliver men from the necessity and preserve them in peace. For peace is not sought in order to the kindling of war, but war is waged in order that peace may be obtained. Therefore, even in waging war, cherish the spirit of a peacemaker, that, by conquering those whom you attack, you may lead them back to the advantages of peace; for our Lord says: "Blessed are the peacemakers; for they shall be called the children of God."

If, however, peace among men be so sweet as procuring temporal safety, how much sweeter is that peace with God which procures for men the eternal felicity of the angels! Let necessity, therefore, and not your will, slay the enemy who fights against you. As violence is used towards him who rebels and resists, so mercy is due to the vanquished or the captive, especially in the case in which future troubling of the peace is not to be feared."

St. John Chrysostom wrote in his homily on Paul's letters to the Philippians:

"Christ saith, "Peace I leave with you, My peace I give unto you" (John 14; 27): this shall guard you, for this peace exceedeth all man's understanding. How? When he tells us to be at peace with our enemies, with those who treat us unjustly, with those who are at war and enmity toward us; is it not beyond man's understanding? But rather let us look to the former. If the peace surpasseth all understanding, much more doth God Himself, who giveth peace, pass all understanding, not ours only, but also that of Angels, and the Powers above.