Photo by Marlis Trio Akbar on Unsplash
The image of the Holy Child asleep in his mother’s arms evokes a peacefulness that we desire for ourselves. So as we enter the new year, the Holy Father invites us to pray for peace in our world. Pope Paul VI established the World Day of Prayer for Peace in 1967 and for the last 58 years the church has dedicated this day to prayer for peace. And yet peace still seems so elusive in our day much more than it has ever been. War and strife continue to rage in many parts of our world – the Middle East, Ukraine, South Korea, Libya, Syria, Somalia, Yemen, South Sudan, Central Africa, Venezuela, Haiti, Afghanistan, India & Pakistan, Myanmar, Nagorno-Karabakh. Nations still are distrustful of other nations, many cultures still unable to see past their differences, believers against non-believers, east against west, rich against poor. Even among people of faith, Jews, Muslims, and Christians, fearful of their neighbor’s motives, are still unwilling to acknowledge what is good in those who celebrate faith or profess it differently. Evermore we find communities drawing farther and farther apart, putting more emphasis on what divides, highlighting the obstacles that hinder dialogue, calling attention to the hurts suffered at each other’s hands.
There’s no end in sight to lawsuits being filed, complaints lodged, demands made that offenders apologize and compensate victims for physical loss and emotional distress. And it doesn’t end there. Victims of violent crime and otherwise ordinary individuals who have suffered no personal loss themselves demand the execution of the worst criminals hoping for closure and healing, yet they do not find peace. Some even invoke scripture to justify their thirst for vengeance, “an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth,” conveniently forgetting that Jesus abolished that directive when he instructed his disciples to “love one another, to bless your enemies and pray for your persecutors, to turn the other cheek, and to willingly give up your coat when deprived of your shirt.” But this runs contrary to Western thinking and our independent American attitude.
And each time Christians invoke God as Father, we are not always attentive to the words we speak, “forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.” Is our willingness to forgive subject to circumstances that change? Vengeance but not murder? Dishonesty but not infidelity? Neglect of the poor but not excessive bonuses? Is our willingness to forgive dependent on that for which we ask forgiveness from God? We do not hesitate to call upon God to grant us lasting peace, to bring calm and comfort to those who hurt and those who suffer, to still the guns of war, to quell the rage that fuels hatred and prejudice, to give us courage that we might forgive those who trespass against us, to help the oppressed rise from their despair and embrace new beginnings with confidence. But what do we keep doing wrong? Why is peace still beyond our reach?
If we are to achieve even a measure of peace in our lifetime, among nations, between religious faiths, within our communities, among our own families, and within our own hearts, we must work hard at putting an end to or at least diminishing the cause of violence and war, of hatred and prejudice, of terror and vengeance in each of these settings. We will not achieve a lasting peace if we do nothing more than pray and sing about it, although prayer and music may soften the hard ground before the seed is planted. We will not achieve a lasting peace if we do nothing more than write treaties and conduct high level government meetings, although such treaties and meetings are often helpful to attain the desired outcome. We will not achieve a lasting peace if we just wait for someone else in civil or religious leadership to make the first move, although what we do on a personal level will have little chance of success if we do not enlist the help of civil and religious leaders.
But we know there is much more to the work of peace that is subtle, internal, and personal. Peace requires the shedding of many tears, and much sweat and blood, which many families know too well. Peace demands that we lay down and dismantle our weapons, that we knock down obstacles and walls, that we open doors, minds, and hearts. Peace demands that we seek and grant forgiveness, that we release others and be ourselves released from resentment, rage, and vengeance. And peace is not achieved in one fell stroke ever, never attained overnight once and for all. Instead, each act of peace is an act of the will, a free choice that often must be made time and time again. Fakhri Abu Diab, a 62-year-old Palestinian who has led the fight to protect local homes from demolition for two decades, saw his own home demolished in East Jerusalem in early November. What would have been more productive would be a dialogue. And the temptation to give up will be hard to resist.
“Let there be peace on earth,” the song goes, “and let it begin with me.” The dream of bringing an end to all war, an end to oppression and violence, the dream of brokering reconciliation between divided peoples, of restoring respect and civility to human interaction, of eradicating ignorance and fear, of ending the cycle of terror and vengeance, and of achieving a lasting peace … begins with you and me. I doubt any of us will be called upon by church or government to help resolve international conflicts or negotiate treaties and religious covenants. But there is much we can do to resolve conflicts in our own families by biting our tongue, swallowing our pride, and letting go of pettiness. A smile, a gentle word, and acts of kindness go a long way to soften hardened hearts.
Who of us will get the chance to convince nations at war to lay down their weapons and knock down the barriers to dialogue and collaboration? But there is much we can accomplish by laying down our weapons of criticism and ill will, and by making the conscious choice to set aside envy, indifference, and mistrust. We may not be called upon to negotiate peace between Ukraine and Russia, Israel and Hezbollah, Kim Jong Un and America. If our elected officials have a difficult time being civil with each other, is it any wonder our political process has soured many voters? But we can help to create an environment that fosters respect and cooperation among our own neighbors, members of our family, members of our church, people we work with and go to school with, strangers at the grocery store, the gas station, the public library. None of us will probably be nominated to the Nobel Peace Prize. But with patience and compassion we can earn the esteem and affection of those whose lives we touch.
As we honor the virgin mother this day, whose Son is the glorious Prince of Peace, we call upon God to bless us with peace. Mary never dabbled in international diplomacy, nor did she ever take up arms in defense of country or faith. But she contributed her share to the cause of peace through her care for her family, her simple faith, and her dedication to duty. Few of us will be called beyond the challenges of daily life, but unless we take seriously the work of peace in our own lives, it remains just a dream. “Let there be peace on earth … and let it begin with me.”
Rolo B Castillo © 2025