“Let me hear what God the Lord will speak, for he will speak peace to his people, to his faithful, to those who turn to him in their hearts” (Ps 85:8).  The words of this Psalm fittingly accompany our recitation of the Rosary this evening, because they express the hope of which we stand in need, especially in the face of current difficulties and violence.

Let us dispose our hearts to listen to the word of God, so that in prayer we may come to understand the meaning of the events of history, recognizing the providence of God who always guides it and sustains us.  The Virgin Mary is the model of the believer who inclines the ear of the heart to listen to “what God says.”  She is an example for us in her obedience, which welcomed the Son of God into her womb in the Incarnation.

Contemplating the mysteries of the Rosary with Mary leads us to recognize in Jesus Christ the one final Word spoken by the Father, a Word of peace for all who return to him with contrite hearts.  The Lord never abandons us, even when we forget him, even when we lose our way.  He comes in search of us and draws near with his everlasting love.  As the prophet Isaiah reminds us: “Peace, peace, to the far and the near, says the Lord” (57:19).  Whoever trusts in God understands this proclamation of peace and becomes an instrument of peace, building it with his own hands (cf. Mt 5:9).

Peace, in fact, is not a theory to be tested in a laboratory, nor a naïve illusion, nor a matter to be pursued out of self-interest.  When sought with a sincere heart, it is rather a daily commitment: it springs from justice and love, as harmony that unites persons, families, communities and peoples.  Even in this time marked by tension and conflict, peace becomes possible when we choose to listen to the cry of those deprived of it: innocent children, anguished mothers and fathers, abused prisoners, refugees and people of every age who suffer.  All of them have but one word upon their lips: peace!

We know well that peace is always possible because it is a gift from God.  This peace, his peace, has a face: that of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, who through his life, given for us, reconciled heaven and earth.  As the Apostle Paul writes: “He is our peace” (Eph 2:14).  He is the one who breaks down the walls of hostility, conquers arrogance through humility and redeems all creation from sin.

It is when the Lord Jesus is with us and we behave as true disciples of his love that the Holy Spirit can accomplish what appears humanly impossible.  On the contrary, when we move away from God we also distance ourselves from humanity, from our neighbor, and are indifferent to their suffering.  Every time we return to the Lord, his peace becomes our responsibility, according to the duties and tasks of each person.

Thus, our prayer becomes mission and prophecy.  The cry of the innocent must no longer be heard in our cities.  No one should have to flee from his own home because of the threat of bombs.  The desire for power and the violence of words must give way to the thirst for justice and truth.  Yet everyone can and must do his or her part, beginning with small but important things, abstaining from every form of verbal or physical violence in daily life and also on social media.

Dear brothers and sisters, true peace begins in a heart that loves.  It is witnessed to by lips that speak words of reconciliation.  It is reflected in eyes that look upon the world with gentleness and wisdom.  This is true strength, the strength of truth and love.

God seeks peacemakers!  May our Blessed Mother help us to answer him each day with our own “Here I am,” not only in words but in deeds.