In a world filled with turmoil, our Lord’s words resound with eternal truth: “Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:28) This is no passing comfort, no fleeting relief offered by the world, but a divine rest—a peace that flows from Christ Himself, the only true source of stillness for the soul. The peace that the world gives is shallow and quickly passing, built upon external circumstances, but the peace of Christ is unshakable, rooted in the depths of the heart, beyond the reach of worldly troubles. “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives.” (John 14:27) This peace is the fruit of communion with God, a grace bestowed upon those who entrust their lives to Him.
To rest in Christ is to surrender our burdens into His hands, with faith that He alone upholds us. The Apostle St. Peter exhorts us: “Cast all your anxiety on him, because he cares for you.” (1 Peter 5:7) This is not a passive resignation but an active trust, a conscious placing of our cares before the Lord, knowing that He is our refuge. The Psalmist instructs us, “Be still before the Lord, and wait patiently for him.” (Psalm 37:7) In this stillness, the Orthodox Christian finds peace—not in escaping suffering, but in uniting suffering with Christ, who bore our sorrows upon the Cross. The world teaches that peace comes through the avoidance of hardship, through distractions, comforts, or fleeting pleasures. But the peace of Christ is found even in suffering. The Holy Fathers teach that suffering endured with Christ is transformed into the very means of sanctification. As St. Paul writes, “The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:7) This is a peace that does not waver in the face of trials, for it is not dependent upon the world, but upon the presence of Christ Himself within the soul.
The hesychasts of the Orthodox tradition teach that true peace is found in hesychia, sacred stillness before God. It is in this silence of the heart that we encounter the Lord. In prayer, in the Divine Liturgy, in the mystery of the Holy Eucharist, the soul is nourished by Christ’s peace. But to receive this peace, we must withdraw from the noise of the world. The world is restless, tossed about by passions, by anxieties, by the distractions of the enemy. But the Christian who abides in Christ stands upon the rock of faith, unmoved by the tempests of life.
Even death itself cannot shake the one who has found true peace in Christ, for nothing can separate us from His love: “For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Rom. 8:38-39) The saints and martyrs did not fear suffering or death, for their peace was not of this world—it was the peace of the Kingdom of God, already present in their souls.
May we flee to Christ, seeking the peace that only He can give. Let us reclaim the sacred silence where God speaks, the quiet of the heart where His grace abides. The words of St. Augustine ring true: “Thou hast made us for Thyself, O Lord, and our heart is restless until it rests in Thee.” May we cease our restless striving after the illusions of peace offered by the world, and instead, enter into the stillness of Christ. For only in Him do we find a peace that is unshaken, eternal, and life-giving—the peace of the Kingdom that endures unto the ages of ages.
May God bless you +
Fr. Charles
30 March 2025
