Lord, Make Me A Peacemaker

We cannot have true peace without trust in each other. Peace in our hearts is a necessary tool to create peace in our world. St. Francis of Assisi knew this and the innocence of his love for all was his gift of peacefulness toward all.

We live in terrible times, is a phrase echoed down through history and the more we have tried to be peacemakers, using man's tools, the worse things have become in our world. We aren't meant to keep peace by ensuring a balance of armaments. We are meant to create and keep peace by keeping Christ, the great Peacemaker, the one who confirmed and made complete, the message of the ancient prophets.  We are all God's children. His son's great gift of peace is meant to be shared by us all, believers and non-believers, alike.

In John 14:27, Jesus makes clear that the peace He gives us is not the same as the peace the world gives.  God's peace is strong and everlasting. We have seen many peaces come and go in the world but the Peace of Christ never passes and with that peace, we have unity with others. We recognize our oneness with and responsibility to and for each other. We have peace and love, undivided from each other.

Dear God,

Make me an instrument of your love, mercy, forgiveness and openness to your Will.  Make me a keeper of peace within myself and I might share that peace with others.

Give me the words to encourage respect for all and a willing heart to help those who cannot help themselves.

Help me to share the knowledge that helping through our own efforts is preferred to mandating help as an enforcement placed upon others.

Help us to understand that by each offering what one can do for the least of us, we can create a world of peace and unity.

Help us to understand, it’s not the poverty of the body that suffers more but rather a poverty of the spirit that spreads hate, fear, and violence in the world.

In Christ’s Name,

Amen