Since returning to the Catholic Church nearly ten years ago and attending numerous Catholic Churches due to employment-related travels, I have heard many prayers for peace at Mass – prayers that are lacking the explicit desire for conversion.
Although praying for peace is good in itself, we should pray for it as part of a prayer for love governed by truth since this is the foundation of peace. Otherwise, peace for peace’s sake is nothing more than an attempt to tolerate lies in vain hope for some kind of man-made eutopia.
Cultural Issues
We see this playing out in contemporary culture. The mainstream media, social media propagandists, liberals, and a host of other misguided individuals accept abortion, sexual sin, transgenderism, drug use/abuse, pornography, unbridled technological and scientific advances, as well as obscene profit as morally good, or at best, morally neutral.
Those who disagree with this behavior rarely speak against it. Many clergy, Catholic and Protestant, seem to lack the fortitude to call out these abominations. They pray for peace but without the call to holiness by purification through grace. If we pray for a live-and-let-live kind of peace, we are saying that peace trumps morality and truth.
Jesus and Peace
However, the peace that trumps morality and truth is a superficial or false peace. Real peace comes through love governed by truth, not relativism. Consider that Jesus, the Prince of Peace, says,
I did not come to bring peace but a sword. For I have come to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law…. He who loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; and he who loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; and he who does not take up his cross and follow me is not worthy of me (Matthew 10:34-38).
Although Jesus speaks about division in the foregoing passage, the division is between those who follow the Truth and those who follow lies. Jesus, the Truth of God, is where we find true peace. If all peoples submitted to Jesus and His actual teachings right now, we would have peace in an instant. Proclaiming peace by any other means is lip service and a lie.
Consequences of Rejecting Jesus’ Words
Now, the only way for people to submit to Jesus is by faithful Catholics evangelizing the world and praying for it. Through the ages, the Catholic Church has done a phenomenal job evangelizing, but right now it is doing an abysmal job catechizing. Preaching a nice Jesus, one who does not require us to identify our sins and permanently turn away from them, implies that true conversion is not necessary.
It also implies that we can achieve peace by simply keeping our mouths shut and not disturbing the delicate fabric of our modern culture. However, this kind of kid-gloves approach does nothing to repair the evils that are decimating our societies, including the Church. Too many Catholics prefer to turn a blind eye rather than stand up for God-given truths.
I used to be one of these people, and I still sometimes struggle with what to say or how to say it. But this is no excuse. The more I learned, the more I realized I could not sit on the sidelines while those in the synagogue of Satan (Revelation 2:9) overrun Christ’s Church.
A church that does not enforce or, in many cases, speak about the moral law is a church that is destined to fail in its mission. Thankfully, through Christ’s promise (Matthew 16:18), we know the Church will not fail, but that does not mean she won’t waffle. Unfortunately, in these times of moral vacillation, many stand condemned.
Relevant Examples
Just look at the Catholic Church in Germany. Good men like Cardinal Gerhard Müller of Germany, are fighting an uphill battle against those who are hellbent on blessing gay “marriages”, a heretical act that I believe will move beyond German borders in a short time unless Rome puts an end to their behavior. Cardinal Müller could remain silent and advance the cause of peace through relativism, but, thankfully, he is not.
Similarly, Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone, San Francisco, and certain others among the U.S. bishops are attempting to admonish openly pro-abortion politicians who, despite the Church’s explicit teachings on the Eucharist and morality, advocate for every form of immorality and receive Communion in a state of mortal sin.
Like the cardinal and archbishop, other clergymen are confronting those who believe they are above the moral law; but God’s law governs all human behavior, is intrinsic to our nature, and is promulgated by the highest authority. These men want peace but without sacrificing the truth, morality, goodness, and ultimately God. Where is everyone else?
Our Response
Even if the likes of Müller and Cordileone filled the Church’s clerical ranks, we would have another problem. Many Catholics do not attend Mass, and many others do not believe all that the Church teaches. Therefore, lay Catholics must share the good news with their families, friends, and coworkers.
Talking with those who are closest to us can be the toughest form of evangelization, but every human being is worth the effort and, possibly, frustration. Ignorance of the Greatest Good eliminates the option to choose the Greatest Good. Therefore, we must at times have difficult conversations with those around us.
A family member entrenched in sin needs to hear that their actions are indeed sinful, that they offend God and society, and that God is waiting for them to repent. He wants to distribute sanctifying grace and help them overcome their enslavement to sin. But the only thing stopping God from acting in their lives is themselves. They must turn to Him by an act of filial trust. A loving expression of God’s desire for them may be the thing that helps them begin their journey with God.
In times like this, when many clergy, though certainly not all, are reluctant to preach the tough teachings of Christ, the laity must fill the vacuum. We must proclaim the truth with love. We must not cower. We must not give in to relativism and timidity. We must not join the synagogue of Satan! And we must not pray for peace apart from moral truths and conversion of heart!
7 thoughts on “Why Are We Praying for Peace So Much? ”
Pingback: We Have New Priests, When Your Feelings Are Wrong, And More Great News Links! - JP2 Catholic Radio
An explanation of what is meant by the phrase “the church system of man” …
The church system of man, means, that within Christianity, there are those who work to instill humankind’s worldly desires in the place of the teachings of Jesus Christ. For example: promoting the inclusion of same sex couples and their children into parish life, which would give extrememe scandal. And yes, there is sorrow for the children kept within such unions, but far better to not expose other children to such style of life. Another, the non- recognition of the ravages of Covid being allowed by God to bring His people back to Him, and others to seek Him, and instead, attributing Covid to being nature’s “revenge” upon people due to the poor keeping of the environment. One more, the publc acceptance of a little girl’s mother, saying her daughter believes she is a boy transgender, and the highest official giving his okay to this, rather than teaching the truth of,God’s creation right then.
The church system of man within Christianity, is made up of those who are wanting and who are working to control rather than follow the Holy Spirit’s leading. Those who belong to the church system of man, instead of receiving and following divine guidance received through prayer in relationship with God, rather work to have political powers, and thus become mired in earthly politics and methods and practices
Perhaps read Revelation Chapter 2, in which Book of the Bible, Jesus declared about the church system of man, meaning, appearing to live by Christ in some ways and yet refusing Him in other ways, and introducing and living the world’s ways.
See these scriptures also: 2 Peter 2: 1-3. 2 Timothy 4: 1-5. Jude 1: 3-4.
Jude 1: 8, 10, 12.
“1But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will also be false teachers among you, who will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing swift destruction upon themselves. 2Many will follow their sensuality, and because of them the way of the truth will be maligned; 3and in theirgreed they will exploit you with false words; their judgment from long ago is not idle, and their destruction is not asleep.” 2 Peter 2: 1-3.
“1I solemnly exhort you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by His appearing and His kingdom: 2preach the word; be ready[a]in season and out of season; correct, rebuke, and [b]exhort, with [c]great patience and instruction. 3For the time will come when they will not tolerate sound doctrine; but wantingto have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance withtheir own desires, 4and they will turn their ears away from the truth and will turn aside to myths. 5But as for you, use self-restraint in all things, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.” 2 Timothy 4: 1-5.
God bless, C-Marie
Okay. In that case, I completely agree. Thank you for taking the time to comment and respond!
Thank you, C-Marie! Well said. My only point of contention is “before the Church system of man got so established within Christ’s Church….” The Church has always been a “system” of Christ AND of man. They cannot be separated and they are always inextricably connected. We are his body and his spouse. In Acts 15, when the apostles and other disciples came together to deliberate on an issue (circumcision), verse 22 states, “Then it seemed good to the apostles and the elders….” Verse 25 says, “…it has seemed good to us in assembly….” Finally, verse 28 reads, “For it seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us….” This system of deliberation is established by Christ, guided by the Holy Spirit, and built up by man. Wherever man joins together in a missionary society, a systematic style of doing things is inevitable. Therefore, the question we must ask ourselves is not one about charismatic parishes vs. non-charismatic parishes, but one about using the gifts the Holy Spirits gives us to build up the entire Church throughout the world with the primary goals of getting folks to heaven and helping them live holy lives. We don’t have to be in a charismatic parish to do this. Charismatic and non-charismatic parishes bring complimentary gifts to the whole Church and the Holy Spirits guides the entire process. A system is merely something that helps maintain order. A “systemless” society is a society without order. But God is a God of order. Therefore…. Thank you and God bless!
Pingback: FRIDAY EDITION – Big Pulpit
Well written and argued, in the best of understanding.
One beautiful gift from Jesus, is that He wants for us to Know our Father, Who is His Father and our Father, as He tells to Mary Magdalen in John 20: 16-18.
And here Jesus gives us to know that His Father and our Father, loves us as He loves Jesus:
“The glory which You have given Me I have given to them, that they may be one, just as We are one; 23I in them and You in Me, that they may be perfected in unity, so that the world may know that You sent Me, and loved them, even as You have loved Me.” John 17: 22-23.
And Jesus gives us to know that we are to go to His Father and our Father directly in His Name …… read the following carefully …. if only that way of asking our Father, directly in Jesus’ Name, was being taught everywhere, from every pulpit.
And, There is nothing wrong with asking Mother Mary to ask Jesus to ask the Father for our request ….. but Jesus taught the scripture, John 16: 26-27, just here:
“26 In that day you will ask in My name, and I do not say to you that I will request of the Father on your behalf; for the Father Himself loves you, because you have loved Me
and have believed that I came forth from the Father.” John 16: 26-27.
Spending daily time with our Father and with Jesus and with the Holy Spirit, does ever so much to build relationship with them, with God. And if that was practiced daily by the many, others would see the changes taking place in lives, and would desire the same for their own selves.
Some years ago, there was a movement sweeping through Christianity, which the Holy Spirit had activated. It was named The Charismatic Movement. It called for Catholics to receive Jesus Christ as their own personal Lord and God and Saviour, by intentionally praying the sinner’s prayer which fully acknowledged that one had not truly been living so. It was a dynamic move which motivated people to spend much time with God, with the Bible, with Intercessory Prayer, and to form prayer groups in parishes and homes. It called for the gifts, given by Jesus to His Church, to be active, to be recognized and used.
People came to recognize that receiving Jesus personally caused a growth in Him in their lives which they had not experienced before. Yes, for the most part those who chose to take part had been practicing Catholics, but this, somehow, grace of God, imparted a more personal relationship with our Lord Jesus Christ.
So much in the Scriptures of 1 Corinthians 12: 4-11, and of 1 Corinthians 12: 27-31, became alive and active.
But many parishes and pastors rejected the Charismatic Movement and Groups, perhaps due to the living relationship with Jesus that resulted?? or fears of some sort?? or the use of the gifts named in the above Scriptures, which were abundantly active in the early Church … before the Church system of man got so established within Christ’s Church … read Revelation.
Jesus did say that He came not to bring peace but a sword, and He said that if they persecuted Him, they would persecute us. But their persecution cannot disturb our inner peace within us, if we look to Him for everything. Our peace is in Jesus Christ. So when the question comes to your heart, “WHERE IS YOUR PEACE?” You can just answer, “In You”.
“Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful. John 14: 27.
God bless, C-Marie
C-Marie – The above reply is a response to your comment. Thank you!