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Most of us want to live in peace, not in a climate of violence and war. This kind of peace is certainly worth striving for and comes from a deep, honest desire for something good for all of us. Peace of heart is not the same as peace which is the opposite of war, and it might not seem worth consideration when compared with that of obtaining world peace. However, the two are closely related, and the cessation and prevention of violence and war depends greatly upon the degree to which we have peace in our hearts.

We often need to take firm, direct action towards bringing peace to any situation where people have different values, desires, and intentions. But when we do so, anger, especially if it is directed towards others, is not going to bring about any kind of peace. However, if we have reconciled the differences within ourselves, we can offer peaceful witness and encouragement to others for accepting that the differences exist, or for identifying a way to go about living with irreconcilable differences without resorting to violence.

Peace of heart is a valuable, helpful gift that enables us to get past any anger that might arise within as we confront injustices. Every good gift requires a giver who gives freely, not for payment, reward, or anything other than love. God is such a giver, and we can ask trustingly for peace of heart, knowing that it will be not just for our sake but also and especially for the advantages that it can be for others when manifested through us. There is nothing selfish about wanting to become the kind of person whose peaceful presence in human interactions makes possible the reconciling of differences that might otherwise lead to violence and even war.

We probably know from graced intuition that violence is not a viable means of bringing about peace of any sort, but we might be less aware of how influential we can be when our hearts are truly at peace. This truth is not mentioned in the media. There are no headlines, photos, or captions about it, because it is not an immediately visible or tangible force that catches people’s attention. But this is how God works among us, individually and quietly, person by person. Each one of us who has any degree of peace of heart is a positive influence for peace in others. God does not coerce anyone to good behavior but gracefully invites people to choose what it better. And we are carriers of such grace when we believe, think, and act from peace of heart. 

Seeking for, valuing, and praying for this gift is a graced means for helping to bring about world peace.

We can remember many things that have happened, both recent and past, and sometimes we ponder their meaning. Other memories are not easily accessible, as when we try to remember where we were on a certain date, or the names of everyone who was present at a small gathering we attended. There are other memories that are hidden from our ability to recall them, and which affect our thinking and behavior without our knowing it. When we question where a specific thought or behavior comes from, one of these hidden memories could be revealed to us.

We might recall such an experience, as when, for example, we wondered how we had acquired a habit of always doing something the same way, even though there was no reason for doing so; and then a childhood memory came up of one of our parents acting in that same way and we see the connection. Discovering influences like this is satisfying, because we believe that every aspect of our lives is somehow purposeful and meaningful. 

However, some of our past life-experiences were hurtful, and even if their memories became hidden, our bodies remember them. When we are enabled to recall the connection between disruptive aspects of our lives, their possible initial sources, and the initial impetuses for them, healing almost always follows. This process of becoming aware of how past hurts have been affecting our present lives is most securely done by consciously partnering with God. Whether we eventually talk with a friend or someone in a healing profession for help, only God knows the full story of our hidden memories, loves us completely as we are, and is always available to guide us in the manner that is best for us. When we start with God, we will find our way to fuller integration of hidden memories.

While we usually enjoy discovering how we came to develop some of our habitual behavior, the process of uncovering painful memories for the sake of healing is not of itself enjoyable. That is why we, who are created as communal people, engage in this essentially spiritual journey in the company of God and other trusted persons. Even though our exploration is deeply personal, we do not come to know ourselves better on our own, but in relationships with others. Often, we do not even understand what we believe about ourselves until we hear ourselves express it to others, especially to God.

Since we are unique individuals, we are partially mysterious or at least in some ways unknowable, to others, and even to some extent to ourselves. But not to God, our creator-lover to whom our hidden memories are completely open. If we want to come to know ourselves better, including the effects of previous painful incidents upon us, we ask God to guide and inspire us.

When we think of having been schooled it is usually in terms of a specific subject, with the added emphasis that we learned it well and have some mastery of it, and not that we simply attended classes, seminars, or received individual tutoring and never gained comprehension. Although most of have been schooled in prayer, we cannot begin with an assumption that we have learned how to pray and now have expertise. Rather, we make use of our spiritual senses and discover several causes for gratitude. 

We can begin by thinking about how, and through whom, we have been schooled in prayer; how we have become able to pray anywhere and anytime of our choosing, including those times when we are silently appreciative of the beauty of nature. We can likely recall some instances when we were taught about various ways of praying by family members or teachers, and by receiving direct inspirations from God, as well as by personal invitations from other people that made praying a natural response. We might see how we were not only being schooled somewhat as we might have been in a normal teaching or coaching environment but are still being schooled even now in our relationship with God as an ongoing spiritual experience. Unlike specific areas of learning, progress in prayer is continual and is also not measurable by any standard that could ever lead to a sense of completion.

When we look at the mysterious process by which we encounter God in prayer, we find that trust and love are essential components, whether we are aware of such movements within us or not. Over time, we notice moments of felt closeness with God or awareness of our being loved, and at other moments we have little or no perceptible feelings. But in the end, we sense that praying was good for us. Such is the manner at least in part, by which we are being schooled in prayer.

Since it is impossible for our minds to fully comprehend the vastness of the physical universe or even our own ways of thinking, feeling, and making decisions, we can begin to appreciate how wondrous it is that we can pray; that we who are wholly dependent and time-bound creatures, have the capacity to be present to God who is present with us. No matter how many people have directly or indirectly guided and helped us, we are ultimately schooled by God through the priceless gift of faith. Thankfulness is likely a spontaneous and beneficial result of quietly pondering such a beautiful mystery.

Being schooled in prayer is a lifelong gracious part of life.

It would be difficult to imagine using “lonely” in a positive context. Rather, the word seems to begin with the idea that “lone” is not a truly constructive human condition even though the efforts of lone individuals are often quite rightly praised. We know that each of us has been raised in, and has been supported and influenced by, many people and communities. We have grown and developed as unique people who act as individuals in ways for which we are solely responsible, but we might want to think more deeply about whether we do so as completely lone agents.

Much of our activity is clearly communal, as when we engage in a conversation with one person or with many people. We act as individuals when we think, compose text, ponder whatever we see or hear, and when we close our eyes to sleep. Yet, at every moment, we are in the unseen presence of love that moves in and through every one of our human activities. We may not have any consciousness of our essential connection with being loved, but we live ultimately because we are loved, first by God, but then by others as well. Whether we advert to this truth or not, it is love that enables us to act, perhaps some of it arising from sources we have never considered before but might now choose to quietly admit into our awareness.

If we have feelings of loneliness, we usually desire companionship, and not just any kind, but that of true care for us. Some of us might think that only living people with whom we can be present physically, or by some means of communication, will suffice to alleviate our distress. Others have found that in prayer to unseen God, and in recalling loving relationships with family and friends including some who have died, the feelings of loneliness diminish, and other feelings and other thoughts enter that help move our focus from self to gratitude for all that we have received.

The prevalent culture around us promotes the idea of individual rights without much regard for the common good, which is the real source and support without which lone individuals would have no rights at all. Another way of describing how over-emphasis on the idea of individuality is self-injurious is our experience of gratitude. Will we thank ourselves for being who we are? Rather, when we choose to look through our past to the great variety of good, caring people, inspiring examples of some public figures, and the ways people have influenced us, our hearts are touched by the peace-giving experience of gratitude.

No more emphasis on loneliness or a sense of being a lone person going through life. Instead, we know that we are loved, and so, we love.

Our first thoughts might be about gas as a fuel for cars, the ongoing price increases for gas that affect drivers, and all the political maneuvering behind it all. Gas, in the chemical sense of the word, is not a liquid like gasoline, but is in the familiar form of air. We know that gas can be completely invisible, and that if we cannot smell it, its presence will be unrecognized unless or until it is manifested in its effects, like for example, the squeaky voice of deep-sea divers who breathe a mix of oxygen and nitrogen gases.

On a much grander scale, many of us know a little about how the universe is composed of hot stars, like the sun, that are formed primarily by extremely cold gases, such as hydrogen and other elements, so strongly affected by gravity that star formation takes place. Science can describe many such processes, including how fossils, over eons in the earth, change into the gas we use for fuel. But only faith can legitimately provide an explanation for how everything in nature, from the cosmic scale down to the foundations of subatomic particles, became the environment in which we now exist.

We can live without knowing where gas comes from, and we can live without believing that Love is the force, power, and source of who we are, where we are, and of our ultimate purpose and future. But as humans, we have an inbuilt propensity for wanting not just to know about how we come to be, but also our ultimate concerns about life itself. We can choose to ignore these deeper human concerns and simply continue breathing air and paying for and using some forms of gas, but we might thereby miss out on becoming the stars into which we are meant to be formed. Unlike the cold gas of space that gravity pulls together for the creation of stars, we are free to avoid or cooperate with the pull of love that desires to bring us to the bright shining of our fulfillment in eternal life.

Another way of describing this radical option is to consider the difference between ideas and experiences. We could think, believe, and even proclaim to others that we are self-sufficient, and that what we have in ourselves whatever makes us valuable and brings us satisfaction. However, our experience, if we reflect a bit, reveals that without relationships with others, we are no one, and that loving and being loved is far more satisfying than having power and control, which are temporary and conditional.

Given the choice, which interplanetary gas does not have, we can let the attractive force of God, who is Love, draw us into an eternal relationship about which our intuitive knowledge reveals this: “love does not come to an end.”

Most of us like some things to be fully automatic, like washing machines. But other automated processes annoy us, like receiving an unsolicited phone call or message on our cell phones or other electronic devices. Additionally, we are sometimes pleased and sometimes irritated with an automated process, such as a kitchen appliance giving us a notification sound which is at one time a welcome reminder and at another time an unwelcome interruption to a conversation we were having. “Automatic Intelligence” is highly controversial now because we want to have some control over whether or not to use automated devices and machines, while AI is for the most part controlled solely by its designers and owners with consequences for all of us, especially those AI activities of which we are unknowing recipients.

Some of us have learned that when we are frustrated by some automatic operation, we can waste time and energy with our feelings of anger, or we can pause, and whether we consciously pray or not, quietly turn our focus away from our annoyance at not having our way, and instead toward our purpose and motivation for engaging in the task. Often, we are then able to see a way forward, whether in the same exact direction we had begun or perhaps with a shift of some kind. We wind up as winners, not losers.

In a similar way, we might approach some present fear and anger regarding AI or other issues that disturb our spirits at a deeper level than mere dissatisfaction with an automated device or piece of equipment. Our faith reminds us that God is not just creator, as we might be of some completed object, but the One who continuously chooses for us to exist. There is nothing made by humans that can frustrate or even interfere with God’s love for us and God’s intention that all who trust can never be separated from that love. The way to successfully deal with concerns over the use or misuse of AI or any other work, plan, process, or project begins not with trust in our collective wisdom and efforts, but with our trust in God.

When we start from our position of strength as being the objects of God’s loving ongoing creation, we each, and as members of some of the communities to which we belong, work consciously and without undue fear or anxiety to discern whatever appropriate actions we will take at our level of competence. We turn to people and to written sources that we trust, always noting whether what we learn fits well with our sense of God’s goodness, or leads to negative movements within, such as confusion, disillusionment, fear, or anger.

The only “automatic process” that is appropriate for us who are both physical and spiritual beings is to develop the habit of always seeking God’s love as the guide for our decision-making.

Truth and trust go together quite naturally in our experience, for we normally start with trust and assume truth as the norm whenever we communicate with one another. Hence, hearing or learning about a lie is always a disappointment, even if knowing about it proves helpful to us. If we know or are in contact with someone who lies, our trust in that person diminishes and injures whatever relationship exists or lessens interest in starting one.

Sad as is the reality and prevalence in contemporary society of that lying with words and with images, our commitment to truth has double benefits: we retain our own integrity, with consequent peace of mind and heart, and we relate more naturally and easily with God, for whom truth is an absolute. God has a sense of humor, so not all that we think or say in our personal prayer must be logical and perfectly ordered. However, God, being Love, cannot lie and does not inspire anyone else to do so. We may not reflect on it very often, but the saying, “God can neither deceive nor be deceived” is the foundation of our trust.

Whenever we ask advice from someone, trust is involved. Not that we would normally be wary of anyone being untruthful in responding to our request for help, for we will usually ask only those we trust because of their care for us and their wisdom. But we know that we all have limited experience of life’s complexities and are only capable of partially understanding one another. That is why we only seek advice, which we will take into consideration and use or not use as seems good to us. When we ask God, we can trust not only in God’s absolute love for us, but also God’s complete understanding of our situation and full knowledge of whatever is best for us in both the short and the long terms.

Because we trust God’s love for us and God’s truthfulness, we can confidently ask that we be enlightened as to whatever will be better regarding decision that is ours to make, no matter how little or great our specific concerns might be. We do not ask God for advice, as if we could somehow know what is truly right and good. Rather, we exercise the gift of faith and determine to act on whatever answer we receive from God. That is, if we find that we are at peace with what we have received, we make our decision accordingly.

Sometimes, when we ask God to show us the better way, our minds and hearts settle on an answer that brings true peace, even if this is accompanied by some fear of the consequences. When we sense that this is how to proceed, we trust and we act. At other times, clarity does not come easily, and we return to prayer until we receive insight into the way forward.

Truth and trust are complementary. 

Praise is a positive word even before we place it in a context. We can easily think about what it is like to be praised or to praise someone, and to think of words, songs, and poetry that express praise of people and especially of God. We probably first learned about praise as children, when parents and others expressed great pleasure in something we said or did, or even simply because we existed. Being affirmed instills the confidence that enables us to show or put into words our appreciation for others.

Rarely does anyone reject praise or consider it inappropriate or offensive. Rather, in its various manifestations such as compliments, acknowledgements, expressions of gratitude and appreciation, as well as approving gestures and directed smiles, praise is a graciously double-sided gift that blesses both giver and receiver. At no cost to us, other than sometimes needing to overcome fear of how we might be perceived, we lift the spirits of others by showing appreciation for some aspect of their goodness, and in doing so are lifted in spirit ourselves.

Praise is one of those displays of love that are quite natural, unless we somehow let ourselves become deterred by negative, critical thoughts that          could only be devised by an enemy of human nature. One possible corrective for such lines of thinking is to trust our honesty. Unless we sense that we are self-seeking, praise is always good. God gave us this capability for celebrating worthy behavior where we observe it, so that we will give a blessing to the one who receives it while we are blessed ourselves by calling attention to whatever is good.

Our expressions of gratitude are also praise, at least implicitly, as when we thank someone for cooking a fine meal. And just as praise takes its origin from the love that is in our hearts, gratitude arises from the same source. Many of the Psalms of Scripture as well as Liturgical songs direct both praise and thanks to God and can be rightly thought of as expressions of love.

We are familiar with the emotional power of love songs and poetic words of love that are a part of most human cultures. Love is not itself an emotion or a feeling, but when we sing, write, or say such things to others we are far more deeply involved in the loving activity than if we only kept it all in our minds. Likewise with God. Through songs and Psalms, which were composed as poetry to be sung, as well as through our bodily movements and gestures, we become more fully engaged in giving praise and thanks to God.

God does not need our praise, but we fulfill our own purpose in the ways we express our love, whether directly to God, or to any of the others whom God loves.

Out walking, we could take a lap around a block. Switching meanings, pets will often lap up some water. And, on an oval track, racers can be watched lapping other contestants, while animals can be observed lapping up whatever drink is available. We use the same words for different realities as when a child sits on someone’s lap, but roofers work at lapping layers of shingles for a house. Words like these and very many others serve as meaningful abbreviations, so we do not have to describe in detail every action or object. Words can be exceedingly helpful for much of our communicating with one another, but because words can carry different meanings that depend upon the context in which they are used, we cannot rely exclusively on words to convey our intentions.

With a minimum of reflection, we can recall how we modify and clarify whatever we say by resorting almost to sign language in our gestures and facial expressions. When we want to be understood, we rightly take communication seriously and bring our whole selves to the activity. Without thinking about it, we move from mere presentation of a statement similar to the functioning of AI, to a spiritual plane where elements of concern for the quality of our relationship with others has effects on every aspect of how we share whatever is in our minds as well as in our hearts. 

We would probably not think about it this way, but the caring efforts we make in relating with others is very much like prayer. Or, from a slightly different perspective, praying is very much like all sincere desires that our intentions be valued and accepted when we relate with others. Without our necessarily perceiving it, God is as active and intimately involved in our communications with one another as when we are praying.

God uses words in relating with us, through Scriptures, Liturgies, and faith-sharing groups that convey truths to guide how we live, and that reveal God as friend, lover, and the one who saves us from the consequences of our own errors of thinking and acting. Like us, God also uses non-verbal messaging when we are attentive and open in prayer, listening not just with our minds but with our hearts. In so doing, we sometimes perceive inspired thoughts, but also a sense of well-being, acceptance for who we are, and an awareness of peace that pervades us.

When we take time for communicating with God, revealing ourselves in simple honesty and receiving much more than that in God’s self-revelation, we are much more likely to notice how God is present with us in our conversations and interactions with one another. Our experience is that of the one and the same Love present and active in all caring communications, whether with God or with others.

We become like children, content to sit in the lap of God who loves us, and God comes to us, content to sit in our lap as a beloved child. 

The strong statement by Jesus, “Say ‘Yes’ or ‘No’; anything more than this comes from evil,” (Mt. 5:37) seems to eliminate “Maybe” from our relationship with God, and offers a caution about using it in our conversations with one another. If we reflect on how we have asked God for something or shared with God some of our thoughts, feelings, and concerns, we did not come with a conscious attitude of “Maybe God can do this,” or “Maybe God cares about me.” However, we might still have had thoughts that God might not answer our request or fully appreciate or respond to us. This is where it can be very helpful to ponder Jesus’ words and seek to focus more clearly on God’s infinite power and love, so that we can trust more deeply in those qualities rather than on our thoughts of how we think God might not relate with us exactly as we want.

In all our other relationships, we cannot have the same certainty about trustworthiness as we do of God and might reasonably think that “maybe” is an appropriate and normal part of human interactions. But Jesus was talking to people about how we speak to one another, which offers us an opportunity to reflect on our own experiences of communicating our intentions to others. When we say “maybe,” we know the difference between stating that we do not have sufficient information or clarity about a situation, and when we are attempting to avoid stating a decision that we have already made.

Jesus’ declaration is about honesty, which is the basis for establishing trust. The “maybe” of equivocation moves in the opposite direction, which is damaging to speaker and hearer alike. Fear of what people might think or how they might respond is often the impetus for avoiding the “Yes” or “No” that is our truth. There are times when “maybe” is the only proper word to convey what we know, making it a gift and mark of authenticity, even if it is not what someone else wants to hear. There are other times when we might not want others to know of our intentions, and the same word would be neither a gift nor a mark of authenticity.

Rather than concerning ourselves overmuch about our choice of words, we can look again at what Jesus said and hear in them how God deals with us: always saying “Yes” in terms of loving and accepting us at every moment, while any “No” from God is not about us, but is a response to questions, proposals, and requests that will ultimately be less good, harmful, or wrong.  Love is like this even among us, as when we say “No” to people if they ask us to do something that we know to be inappropriate. In like manner, we cannot imagine God’s love being manifested in a single word, “Maybe,” which would supposedly be based on whether we behaved properly and were therefore deemed worthy.

We sometimes have reason to express a truth with “maybe.” Not so with God.