It seems that wherever you look today there is violence and hatred everywhere. My heart has never been so saddened when seeing teenagers being given life sentences and infant children being killed for everything from accidental shootings to negligence. Wars, earthquakes, variants and famine in the earth. Yes, Jesus does tell us… Do you suppose that I came to give peace on earth? I tell you, not at all, but rather division. For from now on five in one house will be divided: three against two, and two against three. Father will be divided against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. (Luke 12:51-53 NKJV) ”And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not troubled; for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of sorrows.” (Matthew 24:6-8 NKJV)

Yet He also says in Matthew 5:9 “Blessed are the peacemakers, For they shall be called sons of God.” And right now we need an abundance of peace…

Lord Jesus Christ,
Make us instruments of your peace.
Where there is hatred, let us sow love.
Where there is injury, let us offer pardon.
Where there is discord, let us build peace.
Oh Divine Lord, you taught us that those who work for peace
are called the children of God.
Help us to persist in establishing justice and truth
as firm and lasting foundations of peace.
Lord, you offer us peace as a gift
and peace as a responsibility that we must realize
with your help.
Give us the grace to reach for peace,
to have attitudes of peace,
that our words may be of peace,
and that our works be works of peace.
Then, may we build the peace that we and our nations need.

Prayer by Monsignor Pedro Rubiano Saenze, Cardinal of Colombia and Archbishop of Bogota