January 5, 2005

FOCUS ON FAITH

Valley religious groups join millions in World Day of Peace observance

New Year’s Day full of prayers for peace

By Sheila Sanchez
Staff Writer

Almaden Valley residents joined millions around the world on New Year’s Day to observe World Day of Peace saying special prayers to end war, violence and promising to create a better planet for their children and future generations.

Pope Benedict XVI, looking over St. Peter’s Square, gives his blessing “urbi et orbi” (to the city of Rome and the world) at the Vatican Dec. 25. He urged humanity to unite against terrorism, poverty and environmental blight and called for a “new world order” to correct economic imbalances. (CNS photo from L’Osservatore Romano)

Pope Benedict XVI set the tone for this year’s event, releasing his message for world peace in December. The observance, however, coincided with the Catholic Church’s celebration of the Feast of the Solemnity of Mary.

“Peace in the truth,” was the theme of the pontiff’s message, which was read and discussed during the celebration of several Masses throughout the South Bay on Jan. 1, including at St. Anthony and Holy Spirit Catholic churches.

The observance, for many, was linked with Christian Unity Week to be celebrated Jan. 18-25. It gave many a chance to collect money to support humanitarian causes to further the work of faith-based peace organizations, such as the International Catholic Movement for Peace.

In his message the pontiff remembered those suffering as a result of violence and armed conflicts. “My greeting is one filled with hope for a more serene world, a world in which more and more individuals and communities are committed to the paths of justice and peace,” he said.

Pope Benedict XVI expressed gratitude to his predecessors, Popes Paul VI and John Paul II, for being “astute” promoters of peace and for always inviting everyone “to make God the starting point of their efforts on behalf of concord and peace throughout the world.”

Pope Benedict XVI arrives in St. Peter’s Basilica at the Vatican to celebrate the annual “Te Deum” liturgy Dec. 31. In his sermon, the pope said that his predecessor, Pope John Paul II, had rightly made the family a pastoral priority, recognizing that “ the crisis of the family does serious harm to civilization itself.” (CNS photo/Alessia Giuliani, Catholic Press Photo)

The name Benedict, which the pope chose on the day of his election, April 19, 2005, “is a sign of my personal commitment to peace,” he said.

“In taking this name, I wanted to evoke both the Patron Saint of Europe, who inspired a civilization of peace on the whole continent, and Pope Benedict XV, who condemned the First World War as a ‘useless slaughter’ and worked for a universal acknowledgment of the lofty demands of peace,” he said.

“ … We must realize that peace cannot be reduced to the simple absence of armed conflict, but needs to be understood as ‘the fruit of an order which has been planted in human society by its divine Founder,’ an order ‘which must be brought about by humanity in its thirst for ever more perfect justice.’”

The pope said that the truth of peace continues to be dramatically compromised and rejected by terrorism, whose criminal threats and attacks leave the world in a state of fear and insecurity.

“In view of the risks which humanity is facing in our time, all Catholics in every part of the world have a duty to proclaim and embody ever more fully the ‘Gospel of Peace,’ and to show that acknowledgment of the full truth of God is the first, indispensable condition for consolidating the truth of peace. God is Love which saves, a loving Father who wants to see his children look upon one another as brothers and sisters, working responsibly to place their various talents at the service of the common good of the human family.

Pope Benedict XVI greets the crowd during his audience with the Pueri Cantores children’s choir in the Paul VI audience hall at the Vatican Dec. 30. Close to 5,000 young choir singers, their family members, friends and choirmasters from 15 different countries were taking part in the musical event Dec. 28-Jan. 1. (CNS photo from L’Osservatore Romano)

“God is the unfailing source of the hope which gives meaning to personal and community life. God, and God alone, brings to fulfillment every work of good and of peace. History has amply demonstrated that declaring war on God in order to eradicate him from human hearts only leads a fearful and impoverished humanity toward decisions, which are ultimately futile. This realization must impel believers in Christ to become convincing witnesses of the God who is inseparably truth and love, placing themselves at the service of peace in broad cooperation with other Christians, the followers of other religions and with all men and women of good will,” he said.

The Rev. Kevin Smith, pastor of Almaden Valley United Church of Christ, said that it’s important to remember that the work of peacemaking should be a life-long activity.

“As a member of the United Church of Christ, I believe that Jesus taught us that in working for peace we need to embark on an inward transformation that will be reflected in our outward actions.

“This calling is not easy in these times when the demands and stresses of our personal lives are heavy, and when our world seems to be troubled with strife and tension among peoples. Jesus calls upon us to reach out to our neighbors near and far and treat them as would want to be treated. Let peace begin within and through each of us,” Smith said.

Pope Benedict XVI receives the offertory gifts from children dressed as the Magi during Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica. (CNS photo/Tony Gentile, Reuters)

The Rev. Carole Vincent, pastor of Almaden Hills United Methodist Church, said, “peace must begin in our own hearts, with our asking, ‘Where do we need to make peace ourselves?’ We must look within to our own fears and hurts, and pray for God’s help in our healing. Then we must learn to listen to others, without our being defensive, so that we can better understand the fears and hurts of others.”

On a national and global scale, Pastor Carole said she was “greatly grieved by the war in Iraq and the war on terror, for I believe that when violence is answered with more violence, only violence wins.”

Tahir Anwar, the local Imam or religious director of the South Bay Islamic Association, said, “We Muslims, like everyone else are concerned about the well-being of every creature on this planet, and I urge everyone to look into our scriptures and find ways to restore justice, human dignity, equality and unity.”

Roberta Ward, a spokeswoman for San Jose’s Catholic Diocese, said the observance is “absolutely essential” because of the world’s state of affairs. “We need to focus on peace and I’m glad the Vatican does this every year,” she said. “Several years ago we had the Cold War and it was Russia and the United States with missiles aimed at each other and now we have many more issues such as terrorism.”

Ward said the justice issue needs to also be addressed because “if we work for justice, peace will come.”

To read the pope’s full message for peace log onto www.vatican.va.