"1 What causes wars, and what causes fightings among you? Is it not your passions that are at war in your members? 2 You desire and do not have; so you kill. And you covet * and cannot obtain; so you fight and wage war. You do not have, because you do not ask. 3 You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions."
- James 4:1-3
Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another, for "God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble." 6 Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that in due time he may exalt you. 7* Cast all your anxieties on him, for he cares about you.
--I Pt 5:5b-7
你們都該以謙卑爲服裝，因爲 天主拒絕驕傲人，却賜恩寵於 謙遜人。因此，你們該屈服在 天主大能的手下，這樣，時機 一到，祂必提拔你們；將你們 的一切掛慮都托給祂，因爲祂 必照顧你們。
--伯前 5,5b-7
Omnes ínvicem humilitátem indúite, quia Deus supérbis resístit, humílibus autem dat grátiam. Humiliámini ígitur sub poténti manu Dei, ut vos exáltet in témpore, omnem sollicitúdinem vestram proiciéntes in eum, quóniam ipsi cura est de vobis.
--1 Petr 5, 5b-7
The true worth of what a Christian does is determined by the active presence of God's grace in him and his deeds. In a Christian's heart, therefore, peace is inseparable from joy.... When the joy that is in a Christian heart is poured out on others, it gives them hope and optimism; it spurs them to be generous in their daily toil and infects the entire society. My children, only if you have in you this divine grace which is joy and peace, will you be able to do anything useful for others.
--Blessed John Paul II, Address, 10 April 1979
In conclusion, brethren, rejoice, be perfected, be comforted, be of the same mind, be at peace; and the God of peace and love will be with you.
2 Corinthians 13:11
On humility and peace
Do not worry about who is and is not on your side: simply make sure that God is with you in all you do.
Have a clear conscience, and God will defend you. For if God chooses to help you, no malice can do you harm.
If you know how to suffer in silence, without doubt you will receive the help of the Lord. He knows when and how he will free you, so resign yourself into his care. It is for God to give help and give freedom from trouble.
For the sake of humility it is often good for others to know our weaknesses and tax us with them.
When a man holds himself humbly because of his weakness, it is easy for him to please others and calm those who are angry with him.
God protects and frees the humble, loves and consoles them. He leans down to the humble, he bestows great grace on them, he lifts them from their lowliness into glory.
God calls the humble gently to him, and to them he reveals his secrets.
If a humble man is humiliated, he is happy enough and at peace, because his support is God and not the world.
Do not count yourself as having made progress until you feel yourself inferior to everyone.
A peaceable man is of more use than a learned man.
If you are a slave to your feelings, you will see good actions as bad, and you will easily believe the worst; a good and peaceful man will see good in everything.
Whoever is truly at peace is not plagued by suspicion. Whoever is discontented and disturbed will be blown about by gusts of suspicion: he cannot rest and will not let others rest either.
He often says what he should not say, and fails to do what it would be best to do.
He knows what other people ought to do, but not what he should be doing himself.
Worry about your own behaviour first; you can worry about other people later.
You are good at making excuses for your own behaviour and showing it in the best light, but you do not want to accept the excuses of others. It would be fairer for you to accuse yourself and excuse your brother.
If you want other people to put up with you, put up with them first.
(Thomas a Kempis, Imitation of Christ)
God's business is done little by little and his spirit is neither violent nor tempestuous. We must abandon ourselves to God's Providence and take great care not to run on ahead of it. The works of God achieve themselves and those that are not His soon perish. Rest assured of the truth of a saying that seems paradoxical, that he who is in a hurry delays the things of God. [p. 42]
(St Vincent de Paul. From Jacques Delarue, The Holiness of Vincent de Paul, Geoffrey Chapman Ltd, London 1960, 132 pp)