Shortly before being arrested, in a moment of intimate confidence, Jesus said to those who were with him: “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you.  I do not give to you as the world gives.”  And he immediately added: “Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid” (Jn 14:27). Their distress and fear were certainly connected to the violence soon to befall him. But, more deeply, the Gospels do not hide the fact that what troubled the disciples was his nonviolent response: a path that they all, Peter first among them, contested; yet the Master asked them to follow this path to the end. The way of Jesus continues to cause unease and fear. He firmly repeats to those who would defend him by force: “Put your sword back into its sheath” (Jn 18:11; cf. Mt 26:52). The peace of the risen Jesus is unarmed, because his was an unarmed struggle in the midst of concrete historical, political and social circumstances. Christians must together bear prophetic witness to this novelty, mindful of the tragedies in which they have too often been complicit. The great parable of the Last Judgment invites all Christians to act with mercy in this awareness (cf. Mt 25:31-46). In doing so, they will find brothers and sisters at their side who, in different ways, have listened to the pain of others and freed themselves inwardly from the deception of violence.

 

In today’s world, justice and human dignity are at an alarming risk amid global power imbalances. How can we live in this time of destabilization and conflict, and free ourselves from evil? We need to encourage and support every spiritual, cultural and political initiative that keeps hope alive, countering the spread of “fatalistic terms, as if the dynamics involved were the product of anonymous impersonal forces or structures independent of the human will.”  For, as has been suggested, “the best way to dominate and gain control over people is to spread despair and discouragement, even under the guise of defending certain values.”  Against this strategy, we must promote self-awareness in civil societies, forms of responsible association, experiences of nonviolent participation, and practices of restorative justice on both a small and large scale.

 

God of peace,

you are peace itself;

a divided heart cannot find you,

a violent mind cannot welcome you.

Grant that those who are one in heart

may hold fast to the gift of peace

and that those who are divided

may forget their strife and be healed.

We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,

who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,

God for ever and ever. Amen.

 

 

For all Christians, that we will recognise our calling as peacemakers, using our God-given

talents to build a culture of peace. 

 

For our political leaders, that they will not provoke division and hatred but pursue a

shared understanding, reconciliation and healing. 

 

For the victims of wars and conflicts throughout the world. We pray for all who are

suffering in the Middle East – in Palestine, Lebanon, Israel - and also in Ukraine, Russia

and Sudan, and in the many parts of the world whose wars do not appear on our

television screens.

 

For the children who are US citizens, but live in fear of broken families because of the undocumented status of their parents, that God may bring them hope as we work toward conversion of hearts and minds. 

 

For the children whose families are broken and separated because of the current deportation system, that God will guide their families to be reunited while we work for reform of the flawed immigration system. 

 

For immigrants that face violence and hatred in this country, that they experience God‟s welcome and love in all we do and that together we may bring about a conversion of hearts and minds and an end to the violence and hatred. 

 

That God, who always hears the cry of the oppressed and the immigrant, may enable us to hear those cries and be moved to conversion and transformation, working to reform the unjust immigration laws in this country.

 

For God's forgiveness for those citizens who have not been welcoming and tolerant of the immigrant in this country, that they may come to realize God‟s call to welcome Christ in the immigrant. 

 

For the repose of the souls of those killed by ICE officials, both in detention and on the streets of this country, especially

 

Keith Porter

Geraldo Lunas Campos

Victor Manuel Diaz

Parady La

Luis Beltran Yanez–Cruz

Heber Sanchez Dominguez

Luis Gustavo Nunez Caceres

Renee Nicole Good

Alex Pretti