This week for Social Justice Week we join with Caritas Aotearoa in closing their three year peace campaign with ‘Let’s build peace together.’
Here in this online sacred space, we share our thoughts on this year’s Social Justice Week theme. We are also gathering each morning at 10am to pray together for peace as a workplace. This morning saw us ‘building peace through prayer.’
In our busy working days and lives it is easy to forget the intrinsic power of prayer. In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus tells us when we pray, go into our room, close the door and pray unseen (Matt 6:5-8). In a world that is driven by image and influence – to be seen to be doing can seem like the only way to get anything done. Jesus tells us the opposite. Go, hide, do, be.
Do pray. Be peace. Peace through prayer.
I want to take this small opportunity to thank three people from Caritas Aotearoa: Maria, Martin and Eliala who organised, and hand delivered a ‘Jerusalem Peace Lamp’ to our doorstep specifically for peace prayer this week. It was no easy feat to track down a peace lamp from the 2012 visit, and we are most grateful for your assistance, care and love in transporting the peace dove, which for us is a physical representation of how fragile peace in the Holy Land remains.
When asked ‘what can we do for peace in the far off reaches and places of conflict throughout the world?’ We can answer with prayer.
Pray and mean it. Pray and believe it.
Do and be what peace requires. Be where peace is needed.
Pray for peace and see what peace may come.
Rangimārie,
Kathleen
JPCA
Day 2, September 9 : Building peace through respect.
I was watching live updates in conflict zones in news recently, and reading the news headlines on loop at the bottom of the screen made me wonder how human beings could treat other humans so inhumanely.
Headlines read: 2,000 killed while accessing food, cameramen and journalists killed, killing and starvation of health workers amounts to “medicide”, 235 including 106 children die of starvation, humanitarian crisis reaches “catastrophic levels”, reports of sexual abuse by armed forces.
These were headlines taken from one news loop for one day. When actions cause death and take lives, when people of different cultures or races are reduced to numbers, when land and homes are decimated, when human rights are removed – life itself is disrespected, and peace cannot be achieved. You cannot have peace without justice (accounted to Pope St. John Paul II) likewise, you cannot have justice or peace without respect.
Respecting the other, respecting ourselves, respecting all life and creation.
Pope Leo recently gave this advice to young Jubilee pilgrim participants after the sudden death of one of their own on pilgrimage:
And so in a certain way, as we celebrate this Jubilee year of hope, we are reminded in a very powerful way how much our faith in Jesus Christ needs to be part of who we are, of how we live, of how we appreciate and respect one another, and especially of how we continue to move forward in spite of such painful experiences.
May we continue to respect each other in response and despite the circumstances happening around us.
Respect and peace belong hand in hand.
September 10, Day 3: Building peace through solidarity
We tend to forget that there is disquiet and unrest in our own country. That our indigenous Māori Tangata Whenua, our Pasifika, wahine, rainbow community, those who are disabled, suffer from mental health or substance issues, our young, elderly or homeless – the many unnamed and often unknown people are still experiencing discrimination, abuse and poverty in this country. That we as a Nation are not in perfect harmony, that we are not in fact the ‘peaceful country’ we claim to be. Yes, we are not experiencing the type of conflict that constitutes war, but we are fighting our own internal battles. We continue to struggle against greed and injustice with inequity and inequality, with racism, hate and exclusion.
Our conflict often remains unseen, behind closed doors, or hidden in plain sight – on streets and laneways, in our Courts and justice systems, our schools, our homes, our Churches, in our workplaces. We have learnt to work around our conflict, to turn away or ignore, to make excuses, to lie and patch over our struggles, pretend away the hurt, the mistrust, and the heartache.
What would our world look like if we acknowledged and stood in solidarity with our own broken people?
What could we achieve if we shared our love, time and experiences with others?
We understand that ‘If one member of Christ’s body suffers, all suffer. If one member is honoured, all rejoice.’ (1 Cor 12:12)
What more can we do to live in right relationship with others to bring about peace? (Ps 72)
Who would we be if we shared our own brokenness?
September 11, Day 4: Building peace through change
Similar to millions of faithful followers, I couldn’t wait to read-in the New Year with Pope Francis’ letter for the World Day of Peace on the first of January – and perhaps, as a glimpse of what was yet to come later in the year for him, he too seemed to be focused on the horizon of change in his letter of peace – in fact Pope Francis focuses the entire second part of his letter on cultural and structural change as we are all debtors, indebted one to another.
In science we understand metamorphosis often requires dramatic change – which some in the animal world and creation understand faster and better than others.
We are reminded that change can be for the better. A good or needed change. That nothing in this world or life stays the same, nor should it.
A change can also bring about peace.
Rescinding an order. Removing a finger from a trigger. Reconsidering the other. Changing one’s mind.
No-one could have predicted at the beginning of this year that Pope Francis would pass into the next life at Easter. That for Pope Francis, and for all who believe in the Resurrection, life has changed, not ended.
Change is inevitable. Therefore, peace is not only inevitable, but attainable and always worth pursuing.
September 12, Day 5: Building peace through service
Closing the final workday of Social Justice week.
No-doubt we are familiar with Jesus being the suffering servant King, who came not to be served, but to serve, and give His life as a ransom for many (Matt 20:28). A modern transliteration of this Gospel reading simply states the words ‘paid in full’ which in a transactional society makes sense to a business mind. There is nothing more required.
It is done.
Jesus gave the ultimate gift in the form of the ultimate sacrifice. What we tend to forget is that Jesus made that sacrifice for our sake freely and asked nothing from us in return. Yet, by his example he invites us to respond with the same faith, love, and discipleship shown to us, not as a price, but as a path – a path to faith and peace.
Who are the people in your life that bring about peace?
A smile, a gesture, a laugh… and you instantly feel better.
Perhaps you’re the peace giver.
Sometimes we forget just how precious life is and the impact we can have on others.
Sometimes just being you, where you are and there for another, is enough.
We hope this week has brought you peace.
Thank you for joining us on this peace journey.
Mā te wā!
🕊
JPCA
Peace Prayer Focus for Social Justice Week 2025
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