Daily Reflection for Friday, September 27, 2019
| Peace and Blessings, Friends and Parishioners! Memorial of Saint Vincent de Paul, Priest We encourage you to reflect on Friday’s readings at this link: http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/092719.cfm If you prefer to use your own Bible, the readings are: First Reading: Haggai 2: 1-9 Responsorial: Psalm 43: 1-4 Gospel: Luke 9: 18-22 Our reflection on Friday’s readings: “I will shake the heavens and the earth, the sea and the dry land. I will shake all the nations, and the treasures of all the nations will come in ... And in this place I will give you peace says the LORD of hosts.” Haggai 2: 6, 7, 9 Last Saturday, September 21, was the International Day of Peace, a day declared by the United Nations in 1981 to “be observed as a day of global ceasefire and non-violence, an invitation to all nations and people to honor a cessation of hostilities.” Oh, if we could have one day without war, hostilities, and violence. In today’s Gospel, Jesus foretells his death, a violent act of capital punishment. Yet Jesus is the perfect example of nonviolence and grants us peace. Peace … is it possible? Frequently, I get discouraged that our country is perpetually at war and we continually hear threats of more war. But many countries of the world live without war. How does that work? Do they want peace more than we do? We have the power for war. Do we have the power and courage for peace? The Global Peace Index uses 23 criteria to rank 163 countries from most peaceful (Iceland and New Zealand) to least peaceful (South Sudan and Somalia). The U.S. shows up as the 128th most peaceful, yet we pride ourselves on our Christian heritage. Are we following the teachings of Christ? Can we? Although not a Christian, Mahatma Gandhi said that he “saw that the Sermon on the Mount was the whole of Christianity for those who wanted to live a Christian life. It is that Sermon which has endeared Jesus to me.” Jesus, the Prince of Peace. Another International Day of Peace has come and gone. People all over the world continue working for peace. Oh Lord, help us and help me to live peace and build peace in this place. Peace and blessings, Al Mytty |