Peace and Good
A Reflection by Fred Schaeffer, OFS
The Fruit of the Holy Spirit is: Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Generosity, Faithfulness, Gentleness, and Self-control. When reviewing your life, daily or weekly, consider how you are doing and how you are practicing or using the Fruit of the Holy Spirit in your life.
Love
Love is the primary force in a Christian’s life, for God is love. The Holy Bible is filled with examples of God’s love. God’s love is shown in His Son, Jesus, born of a woman, preparing for the Cross, where He makes it possible for us to gain eternal life. This shows God’s high regard for us, and how we should have love for all we meet—our neighbors, brothers, and sisters in Christ. See John 13, 1 John 3:11, Luke 6:33, 1 John 5:3, John 3:16, Mark 12:30-31; and other places in Scripture.
Let’s talk about Joy. Some people call this happiness. But happiness doesn’t go deep enough. Christian Joy is something you have while you may be suffering. It’s a deep, abiding joy in the Lord. I’ve spent four and a half years in religious life; it is there that I wasn’t just happy—I felt great joy. It was not an easy time; the ascetical life is seldom easy, but I felt closer to God than I’ve felt before or since. That said, the Secular Franciscan Order (32+ years) gives me great joy, too. When you experience joy, you do not have times of sorrow. See Ps. 89:1, “I will sing of the Lord’s great love forever; with my mouth I will make your faithfulness known to all generations.”
More to follow in other reflections.
Fred Schaeffer, OFS
September 9, 2026
The subject of peace and joy is loosely based on a private publication, “The Holy Spirit, Lord and Giver of Life,” by Deacon Joe DiMauro 1949-2022, p. 56-62. This was published for St. Helen Parish, Charismatic Prayer Group, where he and I were members.