Blessings of peace to all of you, my brothers and sisters in Christ, on this blessed Saturday, as we gather in the light of our Lord’s mercy and love.
Today, we stand at a crossroads—not just as individuals, but as a global family. The world groans under the weight of division, violence, and indifference, yet we, as followers of Christ, are called to be the healers, the peacemakers, the hands of God extended to a wounded humanity. Let us reflect on the great challenges before us, and let us dare to envision a world transformed by the love of Christ working through us.
The Call to Peacemaking
In Gaza, in Ukraine, in every corner where war rages, the cry of the innocent rises to heaven. The words of our Lord echo through the ages: “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.” (Matthew 5:9). Today, we hear of fragile hopes for ceasefires, of negotiations that could spare lives—yet how often do we, the faithful, contribute to the culture of peace? Do we pray for it? Do we demand it of our leaders? Or do we grow numb to the suffering of others?
Imagine a world where Christians everywhere—where you—refuse to let hatred and vengeance dictate history. A world where we build bridges instead of walls, where we speak words of reconciliation instead of division. This is not a naive dream—it is the Kingdom of God breaking into our broken world. But if we remain silent, if we allow war to become routine, then we will reap a harvest of endless bloodshed, and our children will inherit a world more fractured than our own.
The Cry of the Stranger
On the shores of France, we see the desperation of migrants met not with compassion, but with blades cutting through rubber boats. The Lord commanded us: “The foreigner residing among you must be treated as your native-born. Love them as yourself, for you were foreigners in Egypt.” (Leviticus 19:34). Yet how often do we harden our hearts, seeing those who flee war and poverty as threats rather than brothers and sisters?
Picture instead a world where no child drowns in the sea, where no family is torn apart by borders. A world where the Church leads the way in welcoming the stranger, feeding the hungry, sheltering the homeless. This is the world Christ calls us to build. But if we turn away, if we allow fear to dictate our policies and our hearts, then we will answer to God for the lives lost to indifference.
The Scourge of Religious Persecution
From Syria to Nigeria, our brothers and sisters in faith face hatred, violence, and betrayal. Christ warned us: “If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first.” (John 15:18). The Druze, the Christians, the Yazidis—so many minorities suffer while the world looks away. Will we be their voice? Will we demand justice, or will we let their blood stain our silence?
Envision a world where no one is persecuted for their faith, where every soul worships in freedom. This is the world Christ died to bring forth. But if we do not act—if we do not pray, advocate, and defend the oppressed—then persecution will spread like a shadow, and one day, even our own faith may be silenced.
The Challenge Within the Church
Yet even as we look outward, we must also look inward. One of the great wounds in the Church today is the scandal of division—between clergy and laity, between tradition and progress, between those who seek mercy and those who demand rigor. We have allowed factions to weaken our witness. We must heal these rifts, for a house divided cannot stand.
I call upon every one of you—priests, religious, and lay faithful—to be instruments of unity. To listen before speaking, to forgive before judging, to love before condemning. If we fail in this, the world will see not the Body of Christ, but a broken institution, and souls will be lost because of our discord.
The Choice Before Us
My dear brothers and sisters, the future is not written. It will be shaped by our choices—by our courage or our cowardice, by our love or our apathy. If we rise to this moment, if we become true peacemakers, true defenders of the oppressed, true healers of division, then we will see miracles. Wars will end. Refugees will find homes. The persecuted will find refuge.
But if we do nothing—if we leave these burdens to others—then the storms of violence, hatred, and despair will grow until they consume us all. The hour is late, but it is not too late. Let us go forth, not in fear, but in the unshakable hope of Christ, who makes all things new.
Amen.
What can we do?
Peace and Conflict Resolution
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