The Catholic times. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1951-current, 1953-01-09
Just Among Ourselves


The desires and the 'alk sometimes seem to amount
to no more than the peace talks" in Korea-that
IS TO amount TO nothing. Effectively we mean, of
course for nobody can question the sincerity Of
the universal desire for peace as desire.
1t would be interesting to know what each man
means by peace, in the honest depths of his soul
Perhaps most of us have never paused to ask our
selves this question We take ii for granted that
peace is something that everybody understands
and defines by commonly accepted definition That
is, we think of peace as we think of some common
benefit such as health about the meaning Of
which no one is in any doubt
But the matter is not so simple as this. Peace
may mean to some the mere absence of war. To
others II may mean the absence Of trouble To a
comparatively few it means something positive, and
not mere absence. II means the state in which
all men are actually living good lives and lending
helping hand to the other as individuals
and nations in achieving the great end for which
human life created and the ultimate end for
which government exists among men And surely
this latter meaning is nearer TO the true meaning of
peace.
To many, peace means being let alone not bur
dened with the threat of higher and higher taxes
not threatened with national and personal dangers
not distressed by the absence and possible loss of
enter into the meaning of peace But this is not all
that enters IT. Without the positive element these
negative benefits cannot have being And the posi-.
tive element of peace actually boils down to relig-
ion and the yirtuous conduct Of individual lives
You may SET it down in letters of brass that mil
lions of people who arc now crying out for peace
are unwilling to accept it on such terms as these
The gay lad who lives like the beasts that perish has
notion of living NirtuouS Ip uanfx n1nrnTv
an undisturbed opportunity Of doing the things in
which his pride or his passion find immediate dc
light War, and war talk and taxes, and drafts and
The general upheaval and unrest of the times disturb
his daily program; they interfere with his accus-
toned round of pleasures and seIfindul gences
lie wishes these hampernE things would stop. That
is his idea of peace
The worldly man whether Of business or the
professions. wants 10 be let alone to pursue his
uuess,-of profit. of prominence of comfort He has
no thought OF turning TO God except in occasional
routine church service or by a plous expression
m public atterance The very idea of turning his
life into religious endeavor is As upsetting 10 his
concept Of peace as itself Perhaps that is why
the Prince of Peace without Whom there can be
no peace earth actually said that HIS coming
would not bring peace but the sword
For religion mans main business. Is an ntoler-
sights upon some achievement of science or bust
enjoyment or comfort IN lIvng Religion
means the cross II means interest aroused and
constantly renewed II means Watchfulness II means
repentance II means amendment and the steady
desire and purpose to improve N virtue II means
throwing out Of human lives the alien gods which
head M the idolstry of modern living of life
and civilization in the accepted modern sense Now
your average man of the world would as soon have
cholera 10 have this sort Of obligation and effort
croWding hlm with daily and hourly duties Yet no
one cries more loudly for peace than this same man
Of the world
Men cry Peace peace" where there is No peace
There Is no peace IN rrelgion There is no peace in
sheerlV emotional existence nor in purely tech
noogical Utopla There is no peace for people
shattered by divorce and the acceptance Of divorce
as normal procedure There is no peace for people
content to educate their children IN completely
Goddess atmosphere Of sociological dogoodisn
There IS no peace where the God of peace is en-,
tlrely ignored
People still laugh al the old wheeze about the
man Eho was shlpVrecked and floating on broken
wreckage cried out 10 God, 20 Lord thou knowest
have not asked anything Of thee for twenty years.
get out Of this and I'll not bother thee for
twenty more But there is not much laugh left in
the story when one ponders little, and realizes
that the man the wreckage is tho average man in
the street. He docs not ask God for favors; he does
not realize that every day and hour and every
breath and pulsatlon of life is priceless favor
from God He Is child Of pride and pride resents
God, He simply does not want TO be bothered with
God or The thoughts Of God or the humiliatng
realization that he is not selfsuffclent and without
need Of God
People can talk all the spiritual values" they
hike; tho, can huddle up and do Christmas carol
with fearful sentimentality; they can mutter God
bless gous hint of their wellconcealed spiritual
depths These things do not spell the answer to the
question Of how to find peace Christ Our Lord put
that question IN form that admits slick or
pSeudoscentlfic answer He asked Can you drink
that ehalice that am TO drink of? Can you bear
suffering and the cross to live the life made you
to lNe?' The sanity apostles answered, we can"
When, with the ever present divine grace We need,
We can sincerely make the answer are on
the way,-the swift and sure way,-to peace, And
there is no other way.