Peace is a transformational active force, not just a state of absence of war
Preparatory reading
“Dear brothers and sisters, whether we have the gift of faith or feel we lack it, let us open ourselves to peace! Let us welcome it and recognize it, rather than believing it to be impossible and beyond our reach. Peace is more than just a goal; it is a presence and a journey. Even when it is endangered within us and around us, like a small flame threatened by a storm, we must protect it, never forgetting the names and stories of those who have borne witness to it. Peace is a principle that guides and defines our choices. Even in places where only rubble remains, and despair seems inevitable, we still find people who have not forgotten peace. Just as on the evening of Easter Jesus entered the place where his disciples were gathered in fear and discouragement, so too the peace of the risen Christ continues to pass through doors and barriers in the voices and faces of his witnesses. This gift enables us to remember goodness, to recognize it as victorious, to choose it again, and to do so together.”
-Pope Leo XIV, World Day of Peace Address
Scripture Reading: John 20:19-21
On the evening of that first day of the week, when the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jewish leaders, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!” After he said this, he showed them his hands and side. The disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord. Again Jesus said, “Peace be with you! As God has sent me, I am sending you.”
Questions for Reflection
• How do you define peace and nonviolence?
• Do you believe in your heart and mind that God is a God of Peace?
• Have you experienced the reality that you are a beloved child of God? If so, how did that change you?
Prayer
God of peace, thank you for being gentle, loving, compassionate and nonviolent! You are so nonviolent that you do not force yourself upon us, but gently call us to your wisdom and way of nonviolence. You give us the freedom to do as we will. Help us to do your will of peace, to choose your way of nonviolence. Help us to live nonviolent lives, to become your holy people of nonviolence, to welcome your reign of peace and nonviolence here on earth. Amen.
– John Dear, The Nonviolent Life