When our life is filled with security we know what joy is and feel the world around us as peaceful. On the other hand, when peace and security are mere words, we may exprience an uncertain vacuum in life and yearn for true peace to come and fill that emptiness. True peace and consolation can be neither bought nor induced by psychological techniques or soothsaying. True peace is a gift of God.

As we read of God's promise of consolation and peace in Isaiah, we are reminded of the undisturbed security a child feels at his or her mother's breast.

Jesus presents this image of the child and places it before the chosen disciples as their model. He indicates to them that a selfish ambition as seen in one's striving for places of rank and honour have neither the assurance of being a gift of God nor of true peace. Jesus offers us a guarantee of His peace when He says, "Anyone who welcomes a little child like this in my name welcomes Me" (Mt. 18:5).