By Fr. Glenn Jones:

Ah, ‘tis Christmas time. This is when so many of us long for a bit of peace in our lives after a long year of work or study, looking to the new year and all the renewed aspirations that it can bring. Remembering the birth of Jesus millennia ago, we remember his appellation in Isaiah as being the “Prince of Peace” … He destined to bring eternal peace to us. But … peace in our day remains elusive—peace among nations, peace in personal relations, and even peace within ourselves. Hmmm … how to address these—at least the latter if we cannot have great influence on the former? For, as mentioned last week, every good brick strengthens an edifice—in this case, of society itself.

The Bible teaches that peace is not merely the absence of external conflict, but the presence of spiritual order. However, this order is constantly tested by our internal insurgents. To find the “peace of God, which transcends all understanding” (Philippians 4:7), we must first seek to banish the enemies that dwell within the human heart. The Renaissance scholar Petrarch once observed, “Five enemies of peace inhabit with us—avarice, ambition, envy, anger, and pride; if these were to be banished, we should infallibly enjoy perpetual peace.” While these words were written many centuries ago, they nonetheless echo much older observations of humanity found in Scripture. So … let’s take a look.

Avarice, or greed, is that restless conviction that peace can be purchased—the “love of money” which Paul describes as “the root of all evil” (1 Timothy 6:10). Not money itself, but the disordered desire for it, enslaves. Avarice destroys peace because it creates a horizon that is always receding … a mirage never reached. The more one acquires, the more one fears losing, and the thirst for more increases. Aristotle taught that virtue lies in moderation, and that greed is a vice because it exceeds what is necessary for a good life. Jesus countered this enemy by teaching that “life does not consist in an abundance of possessions” (Luke 12:15). Peace returns when we replace the hoarding of the world’s ephemeral goods with the “great gain” of godliness combined with contentment (1 Timothy 6:6).

Secondly, ambition. While diligence and pursuit of excellence in a chosen field or vocation is laudable, the “selfish ambition” warned against in James 3:16 is a primary source of “disorder and every evil practice”. This brand of ambition is the drive to elevate oneself above others, often at the expense of communal harmony and soul. True ambition seeks to elevate all, while ambition in the service of self alone destroys virtue. The biblical response to the unrest of ambition is the “mind of Christ”, who, despite being in the form of God “emptied Himself and took the form of a servant” (Philippians 2:5-7). In this Jesus exemplifies His own teaching: “whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant” (Matthew 20:26). True peace is found not in constantly ascending a ladder of status, but in humbling self in a life of service. Thomas à Kempis (The Imitation of Christ) presents humility as the essential foundation for spiritual growth and the only reliable path to lasting peace.

Then there is envy, perhaps the most insidious enemy because it finds no pleasure in its own blessings; rather, it finds pain in the blessings of others. Scripture describes envy as “rottenness to the bones” (Proverbs 14:30). Envy cannot rejoice; it measures happiness by comparison and yet always finds itself lacking. Envy is a destroyer of peace because it makes us resentful spectators of other people’s lives rather than good stewards of our own. To banish envy, we must embrace the biblical truth that every good gift is from above (James 1:17) and that God’s disposing of grace is by His design, perfect, and enough for each of us. Each vessel contains what it can contain and no more, and as clay in the hands of the potter, we are made per His good design and purpose.

Now, anger is a fire that consumes both soul and the foundations of peace. While the Bible acknowledges righteous indignation (even experienced by Jesus (Mark 3:5)), it warns that “human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires” (James 1:20). Uncontrolled anger—especially the simmering resentment that turns into bitterness—gives “the devil a foothold” (Ephesians 4:26-27). Peace is only restored when anger is banished through the difficult but essential work of forgiveness, modeling the way Jesus Himself taught and Himself practiced. Peace flourishes where forgiveness replaces vengeance and where patience overcomes wrath.

Finally, pride—the captain of the five enemies. It elevates self above God and others. “God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble” (James 4:6), and Proverbs 13:10 states plainly: “Where there is strife, there is pride.” Pride breeds the other enemies—avarice, ambition, envy, and anger—by insisting on one’s own superiority and entitlement. Pride demands to be right, to be first, to be praised. It is fragile, easily offended. Conversely, the “meek and lowly” heart of Jesus offers “rest for your souls” (Matthew 11:29). When pride is banished through that great virtue of humility, friction of life eases and the peace of God moves in.

Petrarch’s claim that we would “infallibly enjoy perpetual peace” if these five were banished may be idealistic, but it aligns with the “fruit of the Spirit” which includes peace. And St. Paul assures: “The mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace” (Romans 8:6). But that peace can only grow in a heart where the “acts of the flesh”—which include envy, rage, and selfish ambition—have been put to death (Galatians 5:19-23).

We cannot banish these enemies by mere willpower. Rather, we must invite the “Prince of Peace” (Isaiah 9:6) to occupy the throne within our hearts. When Christ dwells within, He evicts the pestilences of avarice, ambition, envy, anger, and pride, establishing a kingdom of peace that the world can neither give nor take away.

Jesus declares, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you” (John 14:27). So, as we come to Christmas, let us bring the Prince of Peace into our lives and our communities, and begin to tread the path of peace for which we so ardently long in our depths. And have a most blessed and joyful Christmas season.

Editor’s note: Rev. Glenn Jones is the Vicar General of the Archdiocese of Santa Fe and former pastor of Immaculate Heart of Mary Catholic Church in Los Alamos.