Blessed Are the Peacemakers (Reprinted from July 13, 2025)
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March 26, 2026“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called children of God.” Matthew 5:9
Jesus does not say, “Blessed are those who
love peace,” or “Blessed are those who pray for peace,” but peacemakers—those who build peace with their hands, carry it in their hearts, and speak it with their mouths. To make peace is to do what God does. To step into the chaos, the conflict, the wounds of the world—and create harmony, healing, wholeness.
That is why the peacemaker is called a child of God. Because they resemble their Father. Just as a child may bear the eyes, the voice, the walk of their parent, so too does the peacemaker bear the heart of God: a heart that forgives, that reconciles, that blesses enemies and binds up the broken.
In our homes, in our parishes, in our cities—peace is not the absence of trouble, but the presence of God’s justice and mercy. The peacemaker dares to forgive when it is easier to hate. The peacemaker listens when others shout. The peacemaker tells the truth with love and holds space for the wounded to be heard.
To be a peacemaker is not weakness—it is divine strength. And when we make peace, we do not only reflect God’s image; we hear His voice calling us by name:
“You are mine. You are my child. And in your peace, the world sees Me.”
Fr. Matthew Hawkins