The imagery evoked by the phrase “a weary world rejoices” is what I imagine of the shepherds when the angel appears; of Mary and Joseph holding the baby Jesus after a long journey and labor in a stable; of Simeon and Anna in their old age when they recognized the baby Jesus at the temple in Jerusalem as their Messiah. Their weariness wasn’t absolved in those moments, but rather I imagine it coexisted with their joy.

True peace, beyond temporary cessation of conflict, transcends this world and will never be fully achieved through human efforts.