(LifeSiteNews) — The Peace Prayer of St. Francis is one of my favorite prayers. Not written by this humble saint, but rather inspired by him, this prayer illustrates how we should live and treat those around us. The first few lines implore:
Lord, make me an instrument of your peace:
where there is hatred, let me sow love;
where there is injury, pardon;
where there is doubt, faith;
where there is despair, hope;
where there is darkness, light;
During Holy Week, we not only see but feel the darkness. It’s in the evil of those who beat and crucified our Lord. It’s in Judas’ betrayal, in Peter’s denial, and in the savage bloodthirstiness of those who screamed to release Barabbas instead. The heavy darkness blankets the entirety of our bodies, threatening to suffocate us.
As faithful Catholics, our stomachs churn with every crack of the whip, and our hearts are pierced when they nail Christ to the cross and pierce His side with the sword. We weep with Mary at the foot of the cross. Yes, evil had its day on Good Friday. But through it all, we cling to hope, for we know that we will soon rejoice in the Resurrection. Easter Sunday is coming, and Jesus conquered death.
He became man to give us what we don’t deserve—mercy, love, and forgiveness. He became man to give us the opportunity to spend eternity with Him—if only we follow His laws and do as He taught.
This is not always easy, and we live in a world that rarely sees or fosters peace. News and social media seem to want to focus on the darkness. They thrive off the evil that lurks there, off the things we cannot see, and off the unknown, and this breeds anger, hatred, and discord.
This is what Satan did on that Good Friday, and he reveled in it. I can imagine how he danced in glee when Christ drew His last breath. But the victory he had hoped for was never meant to be. It never could have been, for there is no conquering our Heavenly Father. He is goodness; He is light.
And it is that light that we must shine as we go about our daily lives, interacting with our family, friends, neighbors, and even those we may not like. It may be difficult, but being whipped and nailed to a cross was unimaginably difficult too. Yet Christ allowed it to happen because of His love for you and for me.
On that Holy Thursday, the night when Christ established His Church and instituted the Eucharist, He went to the Garden of Gethsemane, and one of the things He prayed for was unity. He said, “I pray not only for them, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, so that they may all be one, as you, Father, are in me and I in you, that they also may be in us, that the world may believe that you sent me.”
Unity is what Christ asked for, not the division and the hatred we see today. Not the slaughter of innocents we see from abortion, euthanasia, and through senseless violence. Not the verbal violence that dominates social media. Not anger and hostility. Unity, peace, love, charity, and adherence to His laws. This is what Christ wants for us. This is why He came here and allowed Himself to be killed.
If we truly want peace and goodness to prevail, we must work toward it. This Holy Week, ask yourself what you can do to bring light into the darkness and peace to our world so that it lasts longer than just one week. Start by acknowledging the value and dignity of the people God created and Jesus died for, and then treat them with the love they deserve as children of God. Take time in prayer to think about how we treat others and how we live our lives. Ask yourself: Do I live according to Christ’s teachings? Do I follow His laws and conform my life to them? Or do I try to conform Christ to my wishes?
So often, we fall into the trap of wanting God to change His mind and do what we want. How many times have you heard someone say that they don’t like this or that teaching of the Church for some reason or another? When we attempt to justify our own actions or beliefs by saying “Well, God wouldn’t really mind if [insert your favorite sin of the day],” we are telling Him that His sacrifice on the cross was a nice gesture but we are happy to reject it.
When we do that, we are allowing darkness to prevail.
Christ became man to give us eternal life and eternal peace. Though many on earth don’t want to believe or acknowledge this, there is no peace without Christ. There is only hatred and pain.
So as we approach the most joyful day of the year, take time to think about the fact that Christ died for every human being who ever lived and will live—for your children, for your friends, for the people who hold opposite beliefs, for those who may seem unlikable, and everyone in between. There is not one person who was excluded on that day when Christ bowed His head and said, “It is finished.”
Christ’s work on earth was done, meant to be carried on by His Apostles and disciples, and meant to be carried on by you and by me. So let us contemplate Christ’s commands and determine how we can be that light and sow peace in our world today, never fighting each other, but fighting for each other.
Susan Ciancio has a BA in psychology and a BA in sociology from the University of Notre Dame and an MLS from Indiana University. She has worked as a writer and editor since 2003; nearly 17 of those years have been in the pro-life sector. Currently, she is the editor of American Life League’s Celebrate Life Magazine—the nation’s premier Catholic pro-life magazine. She is also the director and executive editor of ALL’s Culture of Life Studies Program—a pre-K-12 Catholic pro-life education organization.
