"Convinced that I am that a world without nuclear weapons is possible and necessary I ask political leaders not to forget that these weapons cannot protect us from current threats to national and international security. In a world where millions of children and families live in inhumane conditions, the money that is squandered and the fortunes made with the manufacture, upgrading, maintenance and sale of ever more destructive weapons are an afront crying out to heaven." Pope Francis

Thomas Merton, ‘The Root Of All War Is Fear’

If men really wanted peace they would sincerely ask God for it and God would give it to them. But why should God give the world a peace which it does not really desire?

The peace the world pretends to desire is really no peace at all. To some men peace merely means the liberty to exploit other people without fear of retaliation or interference. To others peace means the freedom to rob others without interruption. To still others it means the leisure to devour the goods of earth without being compelled to interrupt their pleasures to feed those whom their greed is starving. And to practically everybody peace simply means the absence of any physical violence that might cast a shadow over lives devoted to the satisfaction of their animal appetites for comfort and pleasure.

Many men like these have asked God for what they thought was peace and wondered why their prayer was not answered. They could not understand that it actually was answered. God left them with what they desired, for their idea of peace was only another form of war. The cold war is simply a normal consequence of our corrupt idea of a peace based on a policy of every man for himself in ethics, economics and political life. it is absurd to hope for a solid peace based on fictions and illusions!

So instead of loving what you think is peace, love others and love God above all. And instead of hating the people you think are warmakers, hate the appetites and disorder in your own soul, which are the causes of war. If you love peace, then hate injustice, hate tyranny, hate greed – but hate these things in yourself, not in another.

All: We confess that in our lives we do not always choose the way of peace; we spread gossip which fans the flame of hatred; we are ready to make any sacrifices when Caesar demands, but few when God invites.

We worship the false god of security and nationalism; we hold out our hand in friendship but keep a weapon in the other behind our back. We have divided your body of people into those we trust and those we do not.

Huge problems challenge us in the world but our greed, fear and selfishness prevent us from uniting to solve them. Lord, we pray for your help, your forgiveness, and your reconciling power in our lives. Amen