In His will is our peace

Dante’s simple yet profound line from The Divine Comedy, “In His will is our peace,” (Paradiso, Canto III, line 85), captures the essence of spiritual surrender and divine alignment. It is spoken by Piccarda Donati, a soul dwelling in the lowest sphere of Paradise—not due to punishment, but because she failed to fulfill her holy vow. Yet there is no complaint, no resentment. Her joy is complete. Why? Because she is fully in harmony with the will of God.

1. Peace in Surrender

Our modern world tells us that peace comes from control—of circumstances, outcomes, even people. But Dante turns this on its head. Peace, he says, is not found in striving but in surrendering to God’s will. True rest comes not from bending the world to fit our desires, but from bending our will to match His. “Not my will, but Yours be done” (Luke 22:42) was the prayer of Jesus in Gethsemane—and it remains the prayer of every soul seeking lasting peace.

2. The Will of a Loving Father

To trust God’s will is to trust the heart behind it. His will is not random or harsh—it is the will of a loving Father. Romans 12:2 tells us His will is “good, pleasing, and perfect.” When we believe that, even life’s sorrows can be enfolded into a deeper peace. As Thomas à Kempis wrote, “The man who is not yet wholly dead to self is soon tempted and overcome in trifling and small matters.”

3. A Soul in Tune

When we pray as Jesus taught—“Your kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven” (Matthew 6:10)—we echo the harmony of Paradise. In Dante’s vision, those in heaven do not long for more; their joy is in being exactly where God placed them, for they have become fully attuned to His desire. That is the secret of eternal peace: not just being with God, but wanting what He wants.

Reflection:

To say “In His will is our peace” is not resignation—it is release. It is the freedom of a soul no longer enslaved to fear or striving, but resting in the arms of the Eternal.

As Augustine said, “Our hearts are restless until they rest in Thee.”

And in His will, they finally do.