The Word Of Peace
Homiletic Reflections On Peacemaking

Deacon Robert M. Pallotti

22nd Sunday in Ordinary Time, Cycle B

On April 12, 1962 Congressman Frank Kowalski of Ct. read a prayer written by Fr.. Thomas Merton. Thomas Merton is the best known monk of this century. He was a poet, writer, a social commentator and mystic. Merton's great gift was his capacity to see truth and proclaim truth. He wrote during he most dangerous time in human history, In fact this prayer was said only months before the Cuban Missile Crisis. It began like this: " Almighty and merciful God, Father of all, Creator and Ruler of the Universe, Lord of History, whose designs are inscrutable, whose glory is without blemish, whose compassion for the errors of human beings is inexhaustible, in your will is our peace!

Mercifully hear this prayer which rises to you from the tumult and desperation of a world in which you are forgotten, in which your name is not invoked, your laws are derided and your presence is ignored. Because we do not know you, we have no peace.

You have witnessed the impious fury of ten thousand fratricidal wars, in which great powers have torn whole continents to shreds in the name of peace and justice.  And now our nation itself stands in imminent danger of a war the like of which has never been seen!  This nation dedicated to freedom, not to power, has attained, through freedom, a power it did not desire." 

Merton raised the issue of the conflict in society and organized religion that often occurs when what is believed is not acted upon Jesus' rebuke to some of the Pharisees was to quote the prophet IS."This people pays me lip service but their hearts are far from me." This is a long standing issue in every religious institution. It is easy to get caught up in titles, academic degrees, positions of authority, pomp and pageantry, and in the process, may miss the Lord ! Such things as religious rituals and laws which are meant to help foster a deeper relationship to God. others, world and the self can be used to keep God at a safe distance in order to reinforce the way things are rather than the way God intends them to be ! But when they are directed to doing the truth of the Gospel, and when that community lives such things our in concrete action, then Christian faith abounds!

This is the issue taken up by the letter of James and the book of Dt.James' letter is a reaction to some Christians who were misrepresenting the teachings of St. Paul. Paul called for belief in Jesus for salvation, but he wan not saying that simply verbalizing a confession of belief in Jesus was the way to salvation--rather belief meant trust, a relationship that transformed the individual and society demonstrated in action ! Paul calls this the "fruits of the Spirit". That is why James admonishes his community to Act on the Word! That is because Christianity is not about ideas but about a relationship with Jesus Christ that is enfleshed in living and dying like him!

St. Augustine, the great Church Doctor, raised this issue in his day when he noted:"There are some in the Church who are not in the Kingdom; there are some on the Kingdom who are not in the Church".

What are we left with is the problem of using religion and religious acts to shield one from responding to God's word. This is Jesus' point: God gives us good things like religious and political structures in life for the whole good of the person. But we know that when those structures demand to be served, then they can distort and twist the human person and the world in which we live. That is what Jesus is getting at when he tells us that "nothing can enter us that makes us unclean". All creation was created good, but human motivations of the heart can distort the good which gives rise to evil actions. But we also know that social forces outside the person can help create distortion in the human person. Therefore the Word addresses hearts and structures to be re-oriented to serve the Lord and the well-being of all people. This happens when religions and religious belief is given flesh in action in the Spirit of Jesus--a spirit of love, of service and of justice.

Merton concludes his prayer in these words: Grant us prudence in proportion to our power, Wisdom in proportion to our science, Humaneness in proportion to our wealth and might. And bless our earnest will to help all races and peoples to travel, in friendship with us, Along the road to justice, liberty and lasting peace: But grant us above all to see that our ways are not necessarily your ways, that we cannot fully penetrate the mystery of your designs.

Grant us to see your face in the lightening of this cosmic storm, O God of holiness, merciful to people, Grant us to seek peace where it is truly found!

In your will, O God, is our peace!"

Deacon Robert M. Pallotti, D. Min.
Uploaded January 14, 2000