PEACEMAKING

“The Lord bless you and keep you! The Lord let His face shine upon you, and be gracious to you! The Lord look upon you kindly and give you peace!” —Numbers 6:24-26

For almost fifty years, the popes have been calling us to devote this first day of the year to praying for peace and justice. Few Catholics have listened to the popes, and we have reaped the wages of our disobedience in war and death (see Rm 6:23).

May this New Year’s Day be new. May we obey and be peacemakers (see Mt 5:9). Mary, the queen of peace, is praying for her children to obey the pope, their spiritual father, and pray for peace. Mary is repeating her Fatima messages and calling for prayers and sacrifices offered for many conversions. When the Muslims, Buddhists, Hindus, Jews, and secular humanists throughout the world also come to Jesus, then we will have true peace. We will have Jesus, our Peace (Eph 2:14). Then, after the whole world has been able to hear the Gospel (see Mt 24:14), Jesus will come back and take us home to heaven (1 Thes 4:16-17). There our prayers for peace will be answered perfectly. We will have perfect peace.

On the first Christmas, the angels sang: “Peace on earth; good will to men” (see Lk 2:14). Today pray for peace on earth, Christmas peace, “heavenly peace.”

Prayer: Father, I will pray with Mary in the upper room for a new Pentecost of peace (see Acts 1:14). May we “sleep in heavenly peace.”

Promise: The shepherds “went in haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the Baby lying in the manger.” —Lk 2:16

Praise: “The Virgin Mary, being obedient to His word, received from an angel the glad tidings that she would bear God” (Against Heresies, St. Irenaeus, Second Century).