Peace

Jul 22, 2006

Dear Friends,

In this time of bloodshed in the Middle East the Holy Father has called for all Christians and all people to unite in prayers for peace.  The Holy Father in this call re - emphasizes the power of prayer, which today so many have forgotten or do not believe in.

Sadly today many see force of arms, the killing of others and the inflicting of violence upon others as the way to achieve peace.  How foolish this is for true peace will not come from these ways.  To support these ways is to support what goes against the teachings of Our Lord and Saviour, The Prince of Peace, Jesus Christ.  As Catholics, as Christians we should be embracing only the ways of Christ and not the ways of the world or the ways of other faiths.  As Christians we are meant to be emissaries of peace in the world.  Talking of and showing peace in all situations, so as to bring the peace of Christ into the world through our faith.  Our support in all situations should be the support of peace and the rejection of violence, not the support of one or another cause or nation that embraces violence.  When a true Christian sees others suffering their hearts should be yearning for that suffering to cease, not making excuses to justify it continuing.  A true Christian would not see one race of peoples lives as less valuable than others but they would recognize in all the wonderful gift of God’s creative love and would see all lives as equal in value. 

In many countries today Christians have forgotten or been blinded to what it is to be a Christian and in this blindness no longer follow the peaceful ways of Christ, Our Lord, but instead follow the warlike ways of the world.  If this were not so then the nations would be filled with Christian voices calling out for this bloodshed to end but sadly their is a great silence instead.

Let our prayers be for peace in the Middle East and that all Christians can make their whole lives living prayers of peace for the whole world.

May God’s peace be with you,

Alan Ames