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Pope
Benedict World Day of Peace Message
His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI gave his message for the celebration
of World Day of Peace on January 1, 2006. The theme for this year
is IN TRUTH, PEACE.
 In
his speech he expressed gratitude to his Predecessors Pope Paul
VI and Pope John Paul II who were the promoters of peace. He also
said that he will follow in the path of this noble teaching. In
his message he raised a question of what “the truth peace”
really means. According to him, people must realize that peace cannot
be reduced to the simple absence of armed conflict but needs to
understand ''the fruit of an order which has been planted in human
society by its divine Founder'', an order ''which must be brought
about by humanity in its thirst for ever more perfect justice''.
As a result for this order planned and willed by the love of God,
peace has an intrinsic and invincible truth of its own, and corresponds
''to an irrepressible yearning and hope dwelling within us''.
Seen in this way, peace appears as a heavenly gift and a divine
grace which demands at every level the exercise of the highest responsibility:
that of conforming human history—in truth, justice, freedom
and love—to the divine order.
Peace is an irrepressible yearning present in the heart of each
person, regardless of his or her particular cultural identity. Consequently,
everyone should feel committed to service of this great good, and
should strive to prevent any form of untruth from poisoning relationships.
All people are members of one and the same family.
According to the Holy Father poeple need to regain awareness that
we share a common destiny which is ultimately transcendent, so as
to maximize our historical and cultural differences, not in opposition
to, but in cooperation with, people belonging to other cultures.
These simple truths are what make peace possible; they are easily
understood whenever we listen to our own hearts with pure intentions.
Peace thus comes to be seen in a new light: not as the mere absence
of war, but as a harmonious coexistence of individual citizens within
a society governed by justice, one in which the good is also achieved,
to the extent possible, for each of them. The truth of peace calls
upon everyone to cultivate productive and sincere relationships;
it encourages them to seek out and to follow the paths of forgiveness
and reconciliation, to be transparent in their dealings with others,
and to be faithful to their word. The truth of peace must also let
its beneficial light shine even amid the tragedy of war.
He also emphasized the international humanitarian law to be considered
as one of the finest and most effective expressions of the real
demands of the truth of peace. Because of respect for that law must
be considered binding on all peoples. Its value must be appreciated
and its correct application ensured; it must also be brought up
to date by precise norms applicable to the changing scenarios of
today's armed conflicts and the use of ever newer and more sophisticated
weapons.
In view of the risks which humanity is facing in our time, all Catholics
in every part of the world have a duty to proclaim and embody ever
more fully the ''Gospel of Peace'', and to show that acknowledgment
of the full truth of God is the first, indispensable condition for
consolidating the truth of peace. God is Love which saves, a loving
Father who wants to see his children look upon one another as brothers
and sisters, working responsibly to place their various talents
at the service of the common good of the human family. God is the
unfailing source of the hope which gives meaning to personal and
community life. God, and God alone, brings to fulfillment every
work of good and of peace. History has amply demonstrated that declaring
war on God in order to eradicate Him from human hearts only leads
a fearful and impoverished humanity toward decisions which are ultimately
futile. This realization must impel believers in Christ to become
convincing witnesses of the God who is inseparably truth and love,
placing themselves at the service of peace in broad cooperation
with other Christians, the followers of other religions and with
all men and women of good will.
He also mentioned that in present situation we can note with satisfaction
certain signs of hope in the work of building peace. For example,
decrease in the number of armed conflicts. He is aware that this
will be few and tentative steps forward along the path of peace
but if we hold on to peace we will have a great future with one
another especially to those who are suffering or victims especially
of war.
The truth of peace requires that all —whether those governments
which openly or secretly possess nuclear arms, or those planning
to acquire them— agree to change their course by clear and
firm decisions, and strive for a progressive and concerted nuclear
disarmament. The resources which would be saved could then be employed
in projects of development capable of benefiting all their people,
especially the poor.
Before the end of his message His Holiness raised another question
-- How can there ever be a future of peace when investments are
still made in the production of arms and in research aimed at developing
new ones? For him, it can only be hoped that the international community
will find the wisdom and courage to take up once more, jointly and
with renewed conviction, the process of disarmament, and thus concretely
ensure the right to peace enjoyed by every individual and every
people. By their commitment to safeguarding the good of peace, the
various agencies of the international community will regain the
authority needed to make their initiatives credible and effective.
The first to benefit from a decisive choice for disarmament will
be the poor countries, which rightly demand, after having heard
so many promises, the concrete implementation of their right to
development. That right was solemnly reaffirmed in the recent General
Assembly of the United Nations Organization. The Catholic Church,
while confirming her confidence in this international body, calls
for the institutional and operative renewal which would enable it
to respond to the changed needs of the present time, characterized
by the vast phenomenon of globalization. The Pope pointed out that
the United Nations Organization must become a more efficient instrument
for promoting the values of justice, solidarity and peace in the
world. For her part, the Church, in fidelity to the mission she
has received from her Founder, is committed to proclaiming everywhere
''the Gospel of peace''. In the firm conviction that she offers
an indispensable service to all those who strive to promote peace,
she reminds everyone that, if peace is to be authentic and lasting,
it must be built on the bedrock of the truth about God and the truth
about man. This truth alone can create sensitivity to justice and
openness to love and solidarity, while encouraging everyone to work
for a truly free and harmonious human family. The foundations of
authentic peace rest on the truth about God and man.
At the conclusion of his message, he addressed a particular word
to all believers in Christ, inviting the people to be attentive
and generous disciples of the Lord. When we hear the Gospel, we
learn to build peace on the truth of a daily life inspired by the
commandment of love. Every community should undertake an extensive
process of education and witness aimed at making everyone more aware
of the need for a fuller appreciation of the truth of peace. And
He also asks for an increase of prayers, since peace is above all
a gift of God, a gift to be implored incessantly. By God's help,
our proclamation and witness to the truth of peace will be all the
more convincing and illuminating. With confidence and filial abandonment
let us lift up our eyes to Mary, Mother of Prince of Peace. At the
beginning of this New Year, let us ask her to help all God's People,
wherever they may be, to work for peace and to be guided by the
light of the truth that sets man free (cf. Jn 8:32). Through Mary's
intercession, may all mankind grow in esteem for this fundamental
good and strive to make it ever more present in our world, and,
in this way, to offer a safer and more serene future to generations
yet to come.
Source: www.vatican.va
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| LIVES
OF THE SAINTS |
MAY 1
ST. JOSEPH THE WORKER
This is St. Joseph's second feast day on the Church calendar of celebrations. We honor him also on March 19. St. Joseph is a very important saint. 
MAY 2
ST. ATHANASIUS
St. Athanasius was born around 297 in Alexandria, Egypt. He devoted his life to proving that Jesus is truly God.
MAY 3
ST. PHILIP AND ST. JAMES
Both of these saints were part of the original group of Jesus' twelve apostles.
MAY 4
BLESSED MARIE-LEONIE PARADIS
Blessed Marie-Elodie Paradis was born in the village of L'Acadie in Quebec, Canada. It was May 12, 1840.
MAY 5
ST. JUDITH OF PRUSSIA
St. Judith lived in the thirteenth century. She was born in Thuringia. This was in what is now central Germany. She wanted to model her life on the example of St. Elizabeth of Hungary.
MAY 6
BLESSED FRANCOIS DE MONTMORENCY LAVAL
Blessed Francois was the first bishop of Quebec City, Canada. He was born in 1623 in a small town in France.
MAY 7
BLESSED ROSE VENERINI
Blessed Rose was born in Viterbo, Italy, in 1656. Her father was a physician. Rose entered the convent but returned home after a few months.
MAY 8
BLESSED CATHERINE OF ST. AUGUSTINE
St. Catherine was born on May 3, 1632, in a little village in France. She was baptized the same day.
MAY 9
BLESSED NICHOLAS ALBERGATI
Blessed Nicholas was born in Bologna, Italy. Nicholas' family could afford to send him to the university where he began to study law.
MAY 10
ST. ANTONINUS
St. Antoninus lived in the fifteenth century. Even as a boy he showed that he had good sense and will power.
MAY 11
ST. IGNATIUS OF LACONI
St. Ignatius was the son of a poor farmer in Laconi, Italy. He was born on December 17, 1701.
MAY 12
ST. NEREUS, ST. ACHILLEUS AND ST. PANCRAS
Sts. Nereus and Achilleus were Roman soldiers who died around 304. They were probably Praetorian guards under Emperor Trajan. We know little else about them.
MAY 13
ST. ANDREW FOURNET
St. Andrew Fournet was born on December 6, 1752. He was from Maille, a little town near Poitiers, in France. Andrew's parents were religious people.
MAY 14
ST. MATTHIAS
St. Matthias was one of Our Lord's seventy-two disciples.
MAY 15
ST. ISIDORE THE FARMER
Saint Isidore was born in 1070, in Madrid, Spain. His parents were deeply religious. They named their son after the great St. Isidore, archbishop of Seville, Spain.
MAY 16
ST. UBALD
St. Ubald lived in twelfth-century Italy. He was an orphan raised by his uncle, a bishop. Ubald was given a good education.
MAY 17
ST. PASCHAL BAYLON
St. Paschal, a Spanish saint, was born in 1540. From the time he was seven, he worked as a shepherd. He never had the opportunity to go to school.
MAY 18
ST. JOHN I
St. John I was a priest of Rome. He became pope after the death of Pope St. Hormisdas in 523. At that time, Italy's ruler, Theodoric the Goth, was an Arian.
MAY 19
ST. CELESTINE V
Peter di Morone was the eleventh of twelve children. He was born around 1210 in Isernia, Italy. His father died when he was small.
MAY 20
ST. BERNARDINE OF SIENA
St. Bernardine of Siena was born in 1380 in a town near Siena, Italy. He was the son of an Italian governor.
MAY 21
BLESSED EUGENE DE MAZENOD
Blessed Eugene was born in France in 1782. He became a priest in 1811. Father Eugene was sensitive to the needs of the poor and he ministered to them.
MAY 22
ST. RITA OF CASCIA
St. Rita was born in 1381 in a little Italian village. Her parents were older. They had begged God to send them a child. They brought Rita up well.
MAY 23
ST. JOHN BAPTIST ROSSI
St. John Baptist Rossi was born in 1698 in a village near Genoa, Italy. His family loved him. They were proud when a wealthy couple visiting their town offered to educate him. His parents knew the couple and trusted them.
MAY 24
ST. DAVID I OF SCOTLAND
St. David was born in 1080. He was the youngest son of St. Margaret, queen of Scotland, and her good husband, King Malcom.
MAY 25
VENERABLE BEDE
Venerable Bede, the English priest, was famous as a saint, a priest, a monk, a teacher and a writer of history. He was born in England in 673.
MAY 26
ST. PHILIP NERI
St. Philip Neri was born in Florence, Italy, in 1515. As a child, his nickname was "Good little Phil." He was always so jolly and friendly that everyone he met loved him.
MAY 27
ST. AUGUSTINE OF CANTERBURY
St. Augustine was the abbot of St. Andrew's monastery in Rome. Pope St. Gregory the Great chose him and forty other monks for a mission dear to his heart.
MAY 28
BLESSED MARGARET POLE
Blessed Margaret was born in 1471. She was the niece of two English kings, Edward IV and Richard III. Henry VII arranged her marriage to Sir Reginald Pole.
MAY 29
ST. MAXIMINIUS
St. Maximinius was a bishop who lived in the fourth century. It is believed that he was born in Poitiers, France. As a young man, he heard of a saintly bishop of Trier, in Gaul.
MAY 30
ST. JOAN OF ARC
St. Joan was born in 1412. Her hometown was Domremy, a little village in France. Jacques d'Arc, her father, was a hard working farmer.
MAY 31
THE VISITATION OF MARY
Visitation means "visit." The Archangel Gabriel told the Blessed Virgin Mary that her cousin Elizabeth was going to have a baby.
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PHOTO OF THE MONTH |
Tour
of the Relics of the Passion
(International Center
for Holy Relics)
www.HolyRelics.org
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| REFLECTIONS |
 “Jesus’
Baptism”
Why did Jesus, the sinless one sent from the Father in heaven,
submit himself to John’s baptism? John preached a
baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins (Luke
3:3). In this humble submission we see a foreshadowing of
the “baptism” of Jesus bloody death upon the
cross. Jesus’ baptism is the acceptance and the beginning
of his mission as God’s suffering Servant (Isaiah
52:13-15; 53:1-12). He allowed himself to be numbered among
sinners. Jesus submitted himself entirely to his Father’s
will. Out of love he consented to this baptism of death
for the remission of our sins. Do you know the joy of trust
and submission to God?
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