p. 27The Sacred Heart and the Tranquillity of the Catholic Home

The human heart yearns after tranquillity because it craves happiness, and peace is a condition of happiness. In strife and trouble, uneasiness and warfare, happiness is impossible. Therefore, even those who are in the midst of wars fight but for peace, dream only of peace.

Unhappily, in this wretched world, war and strife are common; peace is rare and difficult. The histories of men and of nations are made up in great measure of battles. The reason for this is to be found in the passions of our fallen nature which break from control and hurry along individuals and peoples into conflicts which destroy their peace. A man’s life on earth, says the book of Job, is the life of a mercenary and his days are like those of a hired soldier. Within and without us we are assailed by wars.

Our Blessed Lord, Who came on earth to restore human nature, ruined and lost through the sin of Adam, came as the Prince of Peace. He alone, Who is both God and Man, is able to save us from the misery of our own nature and to set us back again on the height from which we have fallen. Through Him alone we may hope to regain the peace of the terrestrial paradise. But this Christian peace will not lie in the immunity from death and the calm balance and mastery of their powers which our first parents enjoyed in the state of their original innocence. It will consist rather in this, that the grace of Christ will enable us so to struggle against our evil inclinations that by much patience we may attain peace.

In the circle of a Catholic home, there must be peace. If joy is needful there, peace is even more required. There cannot be even the appearance of a Christian spirit in the home without an abiding peace. Where war enters in, it is certain that the spirit of Christ departs, for is not He the Prince of Peace?

In homes, as in nations, human passion and selfishness are the cause of wars. The members of a family cannot be at peace with one another unless each is master of himself and able to control passion and selfishness. Where the members of the family give way to anger, impatience, pride, selfishness, sloth, they cannot rightly accomplish their duties toward one another and so there cannot be peace. Self-mastery on the part of each is necessary for the peace of all.

In this respect, once more, devotion to the Sacred Heart brings a blessing to the family circle—the blessing of peace. He, Who came as the Prince of Peace to enable us to conquer our unruly passions and reestablish ourselves in the peace which our first parents lost by sin, will strengthen and encourage all those who are sincerely devout to His Sacred Heart to master their anger, selfishness, impatience, and pride. Through His aid, peace will be restored where it has been lost, and will be preserved through all the vicissitudes and vexations which are inseparable from family life.

When, in the daily difficulties and annoyances of your home, you feel moved to fly into a temper and disturb the peace of that home, cast your eyes on the image of the Sacred Heart and say a fervent prayer that our Lord may aid you this time again to conquer yourself and crush down your rising passion. When there come to you temptations to selfishness and self-seeking which, yielded to, would vex others and so again disturb the family peace, lift your eyes again to that holy image and ask your Saviour for strength to be as unselfish for His love as He has been for yours.

Your devotion to the Sacred Heart will be for you a continual reminder and incentive to avoid those things which disturb the family peace. The other members of the family will be edified by your good example and strengthened to resist in their turn what makes for disturbance and conflict. Under the protection of the Sacred Heart, Christian peace will abide in and bless your home.