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2004 World Day of Peace and January Resources

On behalf of the Diocesan Peace and Justice Commission, I am pleased to offer these resources to parishes and individuals to help in the celebration of the upcoming World Day of Peace and the Church's month-long activities against the culture of violence in the pursuit of peace. The Mission Statement of the Commission says that the Commission "collaborates with the Bishop of Arlington in promoting evangelization, formation and advocacy in the Diocese for true justice and peace…" It is in that spirit that we are pleased to offer these resources.

On December 8 our Holy Father John Paul II commended the peace of the world to the Blessed Virgin Mary on the solemnity of her Immaculate Conception. In his prayer that day, he beseeched the Queen of Peace to

"obtain for men and women…the precious gift of peace in hearts and in families, in communities and among peoples; peace especially for those nations where combating and dying continue every day."

As we begin another year, it is difficult to find peace. Our country remains embroiled in a war. The United States, as well as the international coalition participating with us in rebuilding Iraq, is suffering the loss of our young men and women daily. As we prepare to celebrate the birth of the Prince of Peace, too many families here in our own diocese will do so with an empty space in the family pew, an empty chair at the dinner table. In Iraq, families also continue to lose loved ones and people fear walking in lawless streets. The void of peace in Iraq can also be found in Afghanistan, in Chechnya, in Israel and Palestine, in numerous places around the world.

As 2003 draws to a close, we complete the year-long celebration of the 40th anniversary of Blessed John XXIII's Encyclical Letter, Pacem in Terris (1963). Let us not put aside our focus on what John Paul II called "the essential conditions for peace in four precise requirements of the human spirit: truth, justice, love and freedom." We must renew our commitment to these four pillars of peace through practical application in our everyday lives. Peace demands that we must speak the truth whether our positions are fashionable or not.

Recalling the Decalogue of Assisi for Peace (Jan 24, 2002), let us commit ourselves to "fostering a culture of dialogue…to speak out for those who have no voice…to take up the cry of those who refuse to be resigned to violence and evil…" and especially to urge leaders of all nations "to make every effort to create and consolidate, on the national and international levels, a world of solidarity and peace based on justice."

I commend to you the prayer of John Paul II to our Queen of Peace at the Piazza di Spagna in Rome on December 8: "Dispel the darkness of sadness and solitude, of hatred and vengeance. Open the minds and hearts of all to trust and forgiveness! Mary, Queen of Peace, give us Christ, the true peace of the world!" (Dec. 8).

Rev. Gerry Creedon
Chair, Peace and Justice Commission

Related link: Peace resources