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Views from the Choir Loft

Blessed are the Peacemakers

Dr. Peter Kwasniewski · July 4, 2013

AINT THOMAS AQUINAS interprets the Lord’s words “Blessed are the clean of heart” in terms of perfection within oneself, as a necessary disposition to heavenly beatitude (cf. Summa Ia-IIae, Question 69); and he interprets “Blessed are the peacemakers” in terms of perfection towards others, since the work proper to peace is the uniting or harmonizing of what is separated or discordant in human relationships.

Having a clean heart is a prerequisite to being a peacemaker, since knowing what peace truly consists in follows from having a well-ordered or “peaceful” soul. Aristotle makes the same point in the Nicomachean Ethics, where he discusses the wicked man who is at odds with himself, who is fragmented and restless in his consciousness, as opposed to the virtuous man who is at peace—not, mind you, smug or self-satisfied, since he goads himself on to do virtuous deeds (the greater the better); but rather, with the peace of self-possession that comes from self-mastery and habitually cleaving to the good.

Peace among men cannot come from hearts that are not at peace. Relationships of justice among men cannot arise as long as hearts are possessed of unjust desires and ambitions. “Seek first the kingdom of God, and His justice, and all these things shall be added unto you,” says the Lord. One can only promote the peace of another—peace with another and among others—if one first loves the other’s good. Peace demands a good willed for the neighbor for his sake, and the good of another can only be loved by one whose heart is already attracted to the good in itself—that is, by one whose heart is pure. As Kierkegaard once wisely said, “Purity of heart is to will one thing.” Clarity of the heart’s “eye” is what makes it possible to see how great a good peace really is and to know how to foster it; cleanness of heart is the condition of both insight and foresight.

“My peace I leave with you: not as the world gives do I give to you.” Peace of soul is something only God can give us, and without it, we are lost. Indeed, without the peace that comes from resting in God’s will, much of what we do will become harmful to us, as we injure ourselves with our own “good intentions.” It is not enough to do something generically good. We seek to do what God wills, in the manner God wills, and because He wills it: quod Deus vult, quomodo Deus vult, et quia Deus vult.

For this reason, among others, a college that is truly Catholic must pay attention to the spiritual formation of its students. They are not disembodied intellects who are taught mere conceptual doctrines, whether in theology or mathematics or any other discipline; nor are they brute animals who climb the heights to forage and fight like mountain goats. A Catholic student is, first and foremost, an adopted son of God, whose soul needs grace as a plant needs sunlight and moisture to grow, as an animal need fresh air to breathe. A Catholic college allows, beckons, beseeches Holy Mother Church, in the person of her sacred ministers, to nourish students’ souls with the Bread of Angels, to heal their hearts with the absolving balm of Confession, to guide their steps with the reflected light of spiritual direction, to surround them with all the great and small reminders of our true origin and destiny, our Alpha and Omega. She makes this an explicit goal of her institutional life and culture.

True, a college as such exists to offer an academic curriculum. A Catholic college, however, must do more, and joyfully does more: it is not one-dimensional but three-dimensional. It offers a spiritual training ground in which the immediate goal of academic formation, of cultivating intellectual virtues, comes together with ongoing formation in and exercise of the moral and theological virtues. This tightly-knit threefold cord of theological virtue, intellectual virtue, and moral virtue is what binds into unity the many elements of a Catholic’s daily life, and in a special way, a student’s life. What a joy it is to see this unity emerge, year by year, as our students drink in peace from the Lord’s glorious wounds and seek to be peacemakers in a wounded world.

Opinions by blog authors do not necessarily represent the views of Corpus Christi Watershed.

Filed Under: Articles Last Updated: January 1, 2020

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About Dr. Peter Kwasniewski

A graduate of Thomas Aquinas College (B.A. in Liberal Arts) and The Catholic University of America (M.A. and Ph.D. in Philosophy), Dr. Peter Kwasniewski is currently Professor at Wyoming Catholic College. He is also a published and performed composer, especially of sacred music.

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Corpus Christi Watershed

Quick Thoughts

    “Glory To God” • (For Choir + Congregation)
    I wish to thank everyone for the nice comments I received vis-à-vis my Glory To God setting for Choir & Congregation. A gentleman with a musical doctorate from Indiana University wrote: “Love this setting so much. And I will pray, as you asked, for your return to composition more fully. You are very very good.” A female choir director wrote: “I love your harmonizations, your musicality, and the wonderful interplay you have with dissonance and consonance in your music. So fun to listen to, and great for intellect, heart, and soul!” A young woman from California wrote: “Thank you for releasing your new Glory To God in honor of Saint Noel Chabanel. I'm enjoying reading through the various parts and listening to your recordings.”
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    William Byrd • “Mass for Five Voices”
    Our volunteer choir is learning the “Sanctus” from William Byrd’s Mass for Five Voices. You can hear a short excerpt (recorded last Sunday) but please ignore the sound of babies crying: Mp3 recording. We still have work to do—but we’re on the right track. Once we have some of the tuning issues fixed, I desire to use it as an example proving volunteers can sing complicated polyphony.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    “Baptism” • A Unique Hymn
    Father Christopher Phillips is the founding Pastor of Our Lady of the Atonement Catholic Church. One of his hymns is unique and (in my humble opinion) quite beautiful. His hymn is basically a prayer to the Holy Trinity but also speaks of Baptism and the Holy Eucharist. It would be an ideal Communion hymn on Trinity Sunday or the feast of the Baptism of the Lord. You can hear live recording from last Sunday by clicking here.
    —Jeff Ostrowski

Random Quote

[on Latin] “No change in Mass: people have missals and can read. More vernacular can be useful in the Sacraments: Baptism, Confirmation, Extreme Unction, Matrimony.”

— Cardinal Spellman (one of the Vatican II fathers)

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