International Day of Peace Poster Today is the International Day of Peace, originally declared by the United Nations General Assembly in 1981 to be celebrated each year on the third Tuesday of September by a cessation of acts of war and access for humanitarian aid access in areas affected by war. In 2002 the date was fixed on September 21, and in subsequent years, a call to non-violence was included in the twenty-four hour observance.
People worldwide observe a minute of silence at noon, and various ways of honoring the day have emerged around the globe.
Today is also the feast of St. Matthew, evangelist, whose gospel includes the Beatitudes and the parable of the final judgement when all are judged on their love and charity to others. The reading from Ephesians 4 for today’s Mass as well as the gospel reading (Mt 9,9-13), stress love, mercy, and peace. Paul writes
As I spent time in quiet prayer this morning the words “one God of all, who is over all and through all, and in all” lodged in my heart. Before we can bring peace, we must, as Vietnamese Buddhist monk Thich Nhat Hanh writes, be peace. To be peace we must allow God who is Peace, to fill our hearts. It is God’s Peace we are called to share. First, we must be at peace with ourselves and with our God. No matter the number of songs sung, vigils held, or works done, peace cannot come through our efforts alone.
Great movements of non-violence like that led by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., had roots in faith and in the God of Peace dwelling within each person, giving each the strength to love and resist the temptation to respond to violence with violence.
Being at peace with self and with God is not easy. It is a practice. A day in and day out practice. Little by little, as we rest with the Holy One and allow the Spirit to grow in us, we can begin to see not with human vision alone, but also with God’s vision. We see a bigger picture. Peace is not only about the absence of war. It is about justice. It is about food for all. It is about good stewardship of the earth. It is, at Jesus says in Matthew’s gospel, about mercy.
Yesterday, I wrote about little things making us holy. Each action we take (or do not take) makes us more or less a person of peace. How we respond to a neighbor, a family member, or someone at work. How we use the resources of the earth. Something as small as turning off the water when we brush our teeth can become an action of peace, honoring others by conserving water needed by all. It can be a reminder to pray. A reminder that our little actions are part of a big picture.
The 2012 International Day of Peace theme is: “Sustainable Peace for a Sustainable Future.” Most of us address these issues in the small actions of daily life. Sometimes we are called upon to witness in a larger way to our faith in God and commitment to God’s vision of peace for all. This November, Amercians have the responsibility of voting for our president and many members of Congress in what may be the most important election in the lives of those in my generation.
Remaining peaceful in the midst of an ugly campaign is difficult. Trying to see with the eyes of our God who is “in all” requires prayer. No one candidate is perfect, but we are called to discern who shares a larger vision of peace for our world. Which of those seeking office will work for the poor and oppressed here and around the world? Who will make care for the environment, for sustainable energy a priority?
One way to observe this International Day of Peace is to spend time in prayer, listening for the voice of the Spirit; praying for a share in her Wisdom.
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