Serenity

Main Idea

Pope Shenouda III speaks about calmness as an essential quality of a spiritual person. A calm person is quiet in temperament, manner, dealings, and voice, and is also peaceful in heart and nerves. Calmness is not merely an outward appearance; it begins within and is reflected in all of a person’s actions. He explains that some people are naturally calm, while others need training and spiritual struggle to acquire both inner and outward calmness.

Spiritual Message

Pope Shenouda gives examples from the Bible of calmness, such as David the prophet, who remained steady and peaceful despite facing Goliath and despite Saul’s persecution of him. He also explains the calmness of the Lord Jesus Christ in many situations, whether when He was arrested or when Samaria closed its doors before Him, as He did not respond to rejection with anger or violence. These examples show that calmness is connected with trust in God, inner peace, and freedom from disturbance in the face of difficulties.

Educational Lesson

Calmness helps a person to think properly, plan, and pray; therefore, a person who faces problems calmly has a better opportunity to find solutions. Losing calmness, on the other hand, increases confusion and makes problems more complicated. Pope Shenouda also encourages calmness in speech and discussion, respect for others, and avoiding raising one’s voice or interrupting those who are speaking.

Practical Application

Calmness should appear in the details of daily life, in the way we speak, walk, move, and deal with others. A person should also respect other people’s need for quiet, especially those who need to pray, sleep, or study. Pope Shenouda emphasizes that outward quietness can help produce inner quietness, which is why monks valued a life of stillness and distance from noise. The goal is to learn calmness in the heart and in our actions, while also giving others the opportunity to live in a peaceful environment.

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