Pax Christi International prayerfully invites all its friends and supporters to embark on a contemplative journey of listening on the occasion of Lent.
We live in an increasingly noisy and chaotic world, with multiple global crises happening all at once. In particular, we are following with great concern the current developments in Ukraine. We express our deepest solidarity with the people of Ukraine and pray for those courageous peacemakers in Ukraine and Russia who work for positive change in nonviolent ways.
As chaos looms, we risk losing sight of what really matters. This is why we have to seek silence to focus on the important things we still have to achieve: justice and peace.
How can we discern this? How can we become effective peacemakers?
Every week, we will share with you inspiring quotations by peacebuilders that encourage reflection on a different theme close to our work. On Sundays, we will meditate together on the readings of the day guided by the words of our co-president, Sister Teresia Wamũyũ Wachira (IBVM).
In the midst of suffering, violence, and profound uncertainty, we invite you to create prayerful spaces to discern and listen. In particular, let’s listen to what God is telling us through the people who have dedicated their lives and those who are still committed to making the world a more just and peaceful place.
This week we invite you to meditate on transformation. Whether it’s about preventing conflicts or changing our lives, transformation is one of the pillars of our work. With the help of our members and partners around the world, Pax Christi International is contributing to the transformation of violence and violent conflicts into dialogues for peace and justice. At the same time, we have witnessed a profound personal transformation among the people we have introduced to nonviolence through our work.
As Pope Francis once said, “The Holy Spirit truly transforms us. With our cooperation, the Spirit also wants to transform the world we live in.” God is still speaking transformation, will you listen?
This week we invite you to meditate on reconciliation. Since its foundation, Pax Christi’s goal has been promoting reconciliation and just peace, which are closely related. For a society that has lived through war or other violent conflicts, reconciliation helps resolve the tension between a destructive past and a peaceful future; it is fundamental to finding a way to live in lasting peace.
As Pope Francis once said, “Reconciliation is consolidated by the contribution of all. It enables us to build the future and makes hope grow.” God is still speaking reconciliation, will you listen?
This week we invite you to meditate on
solidarity. In the present condition of global society, where injustices abound and growing numbers of people are deprived of basic human rights and considered expendable, the principle of the common good immediately becomes, logically and inevitably, a summons to solidarity and a preferential option for the poorest of our brothers and sisters. (Pope Francis, On Care for Our Common Home [
Laudato Si‘], no. 158)
Solidarity must be driven by the quest for justice and peace, and it cannot be just an expression of support and sympathy. It has to be a lifelong practice; a long-term commitment to breaking cycles of violence and changing unjust systems. God is still speaking solidarity, will you listen?
This week we invite you to meditate on justice.
Pax Christi International firmly believes in and steadfastly works for justice. Justice for all and of all kinds. Our ultimate goal is peace, but we can only achieve it through the fair and equitable flourishing of all Creation.
As Pope Francis once said, “Peace must be built on justice, on integral human development, on respect for human rights, on the protection of creation.” God is still speaking justice, will you listen?
This week we invite you to meditate on peacebuilding.
For decades, Pax Christi International has been striving to build peace by addressing the root causes of conflict as well as finding and promoting effective tools for conflict prevention and resolution. Peacebuilding is a long-term process that requires a strong commitment and the participation of different actors at the grassroots (communities) and grass-tops (policymakers) levels. In this sense, Pax Christi International serves as a bridge between the two. God is still speaking of peacebuilding, will you listen?
Pax Christi shares a fundamental message: only through nonviolence, can we build a more peaceful world. Whether we are advancing the Catholic Church’s commitment to nonviolence or promoting active nonviolence as an effective tool for trauma healing, preventing or interrupting violence and protecting threatened communities, nonviolence has always been central to our work.
As Pope Francis once said, “To be true followers of Jesus today also includes embracing his teaching about nonviolence.” God is still speaking of nonviolence, will you listen?
Our Listen for Lent journey ends here, but let us all continue creating prayerful spaces to discern and listen to become effective peacemakers.
