Finding the Peace of Christ

Reflections on Don Dolindo Ruotolo’s Prayer of Peace

In a world that often feels like a turbulent sea, where can we find true peace and solace? Don Dolindo Ruotolo’s prayer “Peace” offers an answer. Its goal: finding the “peace that surpasses all understanding.”¹

(The full text of this powerful prayer is included at the end of this article, and I invite you to pray with it before, during, and after this reflection.)

Don Dolindo Ruotolo begins his prayer by proclaiming, “Peace!” The proclamation brings to mind Christ’s declarative calming of the storm: “Quiet! Be still!”² He recognizes the storm-like agitation and turmoil that often consume our lives and proposes an emphatic response. After rebuking the storm in our hearts, let us embrace the peace that Jesus offered after His Resurrection, as references by Don Dolindo: “Peace be with you.”³ He desires to impart that same peace to our troubled hearts continually.

Shortly after its opening, the prayer states, “Jesus is only peace,” and a few lines later equates goodness with peace. God is Goodness itself, and peace originates from Him, a fruit of living in Him. “Jesus is only peace” reminds us that God communicates through tranquility, rest, and purposeful action. He asks us to cast our burdens on Him. Have peace. Be still. Give Him your regrets of the past and the uncertainties of the future. Rest.

Don Dolindo Ruotolo then contrasts the peace of goodness with the agitation of evil. He identifies various forms of agitation that stem from sin and disorder. Impurity agitates the senses, pride agitates the mind and heart, anger agitates the nerves, envy agitates desire, avarice agitates greed, sloth agitates with aimless activity, and gluttony agitates the stomach. These agitations disrupt our inner peace and lead us away from God, away from the fruits of His presence.

The prayer emphasizes that true peace is not merely the absence of conflict but a supernatural elevation of the soul. When we embrace goodness and align ourselves with God’s will, we experience a divine peace that surpasses human understanding. This peace brings comfort to our eyes that have shed tears, our ears that have heard harsh words, our mouths that have spoken with agitation, our hearts and nerves that have been troubled, and our thoughts that have led us to despair. Divine peace acts in supernatural ways and actively heals our hearts.

The prayer ends with the reminder that Jesus Himself is our peace and security. By turning to Him and resting in His presence, we can find solace amidst life’s storms. Just as the rising sun clears away the fog, the light of Christ dispels the darkness and confusion in our lives. In His peace, we can operate with strength, effectiveness, and confidence.

This prayer teaches us to seek the peace that can only be found in Jesus by embracing goodness, rejecting the agitations of evil, and inviting peace to wash over our senses and pour into our souls. May this prayer inspire us to develop the habit of turning to Jesus in our moments of struggle and allowing Him to help us find the “peace that surpasses all understanding.”

Let us now pray with Don Dolindo, allowing our hearts to be immersed in the peace of Christ, as we say:

Peace!…

What’s all this agitation? Peace, my child, peace, because Jesus is only peace!

Peace, peace, peace: this is what He wants to give you, this must be the environment of your life.

Shortly after the Resurrection, Jesus gave His Apostles peace: Pax vobis. They had been too agitated before…

Goodness is peace.

Goodness makes you live in God, in whom everything is mystical peace, all is tranquil rest, all is pure action, without worry about past and future…God…peace!

Evil is agitation:

impurity is the agitation of the senses;

pride is the agitation of the mind and heart;

anger is the agitation of the nerves;

envy is the agitation of desire;

avarice is agitation of greed;

even sloth is agitation…it’s activity without subject, without order;

gluttony is the agitation of the stomach…

everything is the agitation of the soul, which wants, fears, reacts, fights!

Goodness is mysterious peace; supernatural elevation is divine peace…

Peace, my child, peace!

Peace to your eyes that have shed so many tears…

Peace to your ears that have heard so many harsh words…

Peace to your mouth that has spoken with so much agitation…

Peace to your heart, to your nerves…

Peace to your thoughts that in agitation have led you to despair…

Peace to your soul so it may have Faith and rest.

Peace is like the sun rising and clearing the fog…

Only in peace will you operate strongly, effectively, and with security.

Peace!…

Jesus is your peace,

Jesus is your security.⁴

Author Note: If you would like to read more about Don Dolindo’s spirituality, check out my book: “Don Dolindo’s Spiritual Guidance”

Photo by Nitish Meena on Unsplash

¹Philippians 4:7 NIV

²Mark 4:39 NIV

³John 20:19 NIV

⁴From a writing by Father Dolindo.