Peace I Give You

Peace I Give You

John 14: 27

                The small flags were quietly standing in rows. Suddenly

they moved in unison as a gust of wind came by, causing a quiet rustling of flags on their miniature posts. The parade marshall shouted, “March on the Colours” and the colour party carrying bright flags of the country, province and the Royal Canadian Legion along with rifles marched toward the War Memorial in the cemetery.

This colour party marching towards the Memorial marked  the beginning of Legion Week and the veterans, family members and friends from other branches gathered to show their respect their thanksgiving and to pray together. This year is different as this Legion Week begins on the day set aside by the United Nations and known as the International Day of Peace. In 1981, the United Nations declared September 21 as the day when we should pause to pray and to also act in ways to bring about peace in our hearts, our communities and around the world.

The theme of the UN International Day of Peace is “Partnerships for Peace-Dignity for All” and it aims to highlight the important of all segments of society around the world to work together to strive for peace. The UN works with partners that were active in its creation and thousands of people today who are involved in government, civil society, private sector, churches and other non-governmental organizations all with the same goal of establishing and sustaining peace on earth.

But the essential question is from where does peace come? When Jesus was preparing his disciples for what was to happen after he returned to God the Father, he gave them peace. Not as the world understood peace but as He gave it to be essential to serve others in faith and with hope. Peace was essentially to help others as they needed each other to understand what Jesus wanted them to do.  And he did not want them to be afraid for the Spirit would come and be with them.

Peace for us is more than the absence of war and destruction. It is the ability to see one another with hope and in Christ’s love. Peace begins within and this often starts when we pray and ask for forgiveness for what we have done wrong. It also begins when we reach out to others. Let us think of this as we remember those fallen in wartime and all those who have died for the sake of peace in our world.

PRAYER of St. Francis:

Lord make us instruments of Your Peace, Where there is hatred, let us sow love.

Where there is doubt, faith; where there is despair, hope.

Where there is darkness, light; and where there is sadness, joy.

O Divine Master grant that we may not so much seek to be comforted as to comfort, to be understood, as to understand, to be loved as to love;

For it is in giving that we receive, it is in pardoning that we are pardoned and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life. Amen.

  

QUESTION: How is the peace of Christ reflected in your life and in the lives of those whom you meet?