Even in difficult situations, the Lord invites us to keep our hearts at peace. This is possible because this peace is not a human construction, but a gift of His grace. Welcoming and keeping this peace allows us to be more open to God's action in our lives and to find the right answers to the situations we face.

Bio: Jacques Philippe was born on March 12, 1947, in Lorraine, France. After studying mathematics in college, he spent several years teaching and doing scientific research. In 1976, he met the recently-founded Community of the Beatitudes, and, answering the Lord’s call, he became a brother in the community. He then spent several years in Jerusalem and Nazareth immersing himself in the study of Hebrew and the Jewish roots of Christianity. After being asked to be a priest by the community in 1981, [but this is confusing because he was ordained I believe in 1983, so what's more important, telling people when he was asked to be ordained, or when he actually was?] he traveled to Rome to study theology and canon law, and also began his work as a spiritual director, working in the formation of priests and seminarians of the Community. In 1983 he was ordained a priest and in 1994  he returned to France where he assumed various responsibilities including spiritual direction, the formation of new members in the Community, and participation in its General Counsel. He began preaching retreats regularly in France and abroad and has consolidated his principal retreat themes into twelve books on spirituality. These books have sold over a million copies in 24 languages. Jacques Philippe’s writings on themes such as prayer, interior freedom, and peace of heart have become classics of modern Catholic spirituality. All of his books in English are available through Scepter Publishers. In recent years, he has devoted himself primarily to traveling worldwide to preach retreats and missions, as well as working for the development of the Community.