We began our discussion on this topic at the August 2014 meeting and will continue in coming meetings. Next meeting Saturday September 13.

See the link
You Shall Not Kill

And Also
World Day of Peace - FRATERNITY, THE FOUNDATION AND PATHWAY TO PEACE
POPE WRITES TO THE TWENTY-SIXTH INTERNATIONAL MEETING FOR PEACE
Achieving Peace with Justice
TED Talks - The Road to Peace

The Macarthur Social Justice Network meeting at the issue of war. There were some really innovative action suggestions that I would like to share.

1. Suggest Parishes include Pope Francis’ Prayer for Peace at masses and private prayer groups

2. Schedule a special “Prayer for Peace” day and time when people in different locations can pray together

3. Postcards for Peace – Invite people from around the world to send postcards to national leaders with the simple request “Peace”

4. Postcards for People – Invite people to send postcards to Christian leaders and communities in war torn regions expressing solidarity

You may like to think about and discuss what effect these may have and how these could be put into practice.

Some of the questions to be asked/raised include:

1. Who provides the money to buy the weapons? Where do they get their money?

2. Who profits from the weapons sales or the fighting?

Prayer for Peace

Lord God of peace, hear our prayer!

We have tried so many times and over so many years to resolve our conflicts by our own powers and by the force of our arms.  How many moments of hostility and darkness have we experienced; how much blood has been shed; how many lives have been shattered; how many hopes have been buried…  But our efforts have been in vain.

Now, Lord, come to our aid!  Grant us peace, teach us peace; guide our steps in the way of peace.  Open our eyes and our hearts, and give us the courage to say: “Never again war!”; “With war everything is lost”.  Instil in our hearts the courage to take concrete steps to achieve peace.

Lord, God of Abraham, God of the Prophets, God of Love, you created us and you call us to live as brothers and sisters.  Give us the strength daily to be instruments of peace; enable us to see everyone who crosses our path as our brother or sister.  Make us sensitive to the plea of our citizens who entreat us to turn our weapons of war into implements of peace, our trepidation into confident trust, and our quarrelling into forgiveness.

Keep alive within us the flame of hope, so that with patience and perseverance we may opt for dialogue and reconciliation.  In this way may peace triumph at last, and may the words “division”, “hatred” and “war” be banished from the heart of every man and woman.  Lord, defuse the violence of our tongues and our hands.  Renew our hearts and minds, so that the word which always brings us together will be “brother”, and our way of life will always be that of: Shalom, Peace, Salaam! 

Amen.

(Pope Francis)