Seek and Strive after Peace and Reconciliation, by Abbot Patrick Moore, OSB  

Looking back to December 25 we know that the peace and good will among men that the angels joyously announced as God’s will for the whole world has yet to be fully realized after more than 2000 years. However, though not always heeded, the announcement continues to echo across the centuries into our ears today reminding us that God’s will not be frustrated, his grace to accomplish his intentions is still being poured forth into our hearts. In the Holy Rule of St. Benedict he tells us to seek peace and to pursue it (Prol. 17). In other words it is not enough to desire peace; we must actively work towards it.

The Pope always designates New Years Day as a special day of prayer for world peace. The implication is not just to speak our prayer for peace but to be proactive in pursuing it. The pursuit begins where we live; in our families, our communities, our commonwealth, and our nation. Indeed the way of peace and reconciliation begins with each one of us personally seeking reconciliation with anyone with whom we are at odds.

This is where our attention must turn towards the Lent-Easter season, that season of grace during which we struggle more diligently to die to the sin that we know is in us be it the hatred we feel for another, or the selfishness that prevents us from reaching out to those in need, or the prejudice that separates us from those not like us, or the greed that desires to hold on to what God has given us, in general anything in us that is not of God and thereby keeps us from be reconciled with God and our neighbor.

When we choose to remain unreconciled we are far from that peace that the Lord wishes us to have. On the other hand, whatever we do to be reconciled, be it ever so insignificant, will bring great peace and will even have eternal ramifications. In the movie Gladiator, the general, Maximus Decimus, is trying to rouse his soldiers to fight valiantly against the forces of the Germanic tribes. He challenges them to give it their all and makes a remarkable statement: What you do in life echoes in eternity. Is this not what the angelic greeting given on the first Christmas is saying? Our pursuit of peace on earth will echo back to the glory of God in the highest. Thus our response to the angelic challenge to work for peace and reconciliation must rouse us up, like the troops of Maximus, to fight against those who would foment division and hatred or war among peoples.

In this issue of the Richmond Raven we feature an interview with the Abbot Primate of the worldwide confederation of Benedictines, Archabbot Notker Wolf, O.S.B., by the Richmond Raven’s roving reporter in Rome, Father Gregory Gresko, O.S.B. In the past several months the Abbot Primate has accompanied Pope Benedict XVI on some high level reconciliatory activities. He was an advisor to the Pope when he traveled to Turkey in November and was with the Holy Father in Germany in September when Benedict made his now famous speech challenging the religion of Islam to embrace peace and not violence. The interview indicates how passionate the Pope is about reconciliation on the global, interreligious, ecumenical and individual levels. Since all three of the Abrahamic religions – Judaism, Christianity and Islam – share a belief in and claim to obey the one, true God whose will is for all people to live together in peace, the Pope has seized upon that common faith, using his role as Pope, to exhort all people of good will to work together to accomplish the divine purpose.

Fr. Gregory’s interview also mentions Pope Benedict’s improved relationship with the Primate of the Greek Orthodox Church. In a special liturgy at the Basilica of St. Paul’s Outside the Walls in Rome celebrated jointly by Cardinal Montezemolo, Archpriest of that basilica; Cardinal Kaspar, the Pope’s representative for ecumenical relations; and the Greek Orthodox Patriarch, the Pope gave two links of the prison chains of the Apostle Paul to the Primate and this is seen as a major reconciliatory move. And so, my friends, as we prepare to enter into the holy season of Lent on February 21, we have the impetus to seek peace and reconciliation that was first announced by the angels on the first Christmas. Peace, Pax, is the motto of the Benedictine Order. OurPope chose as his papal name, Benedict, apparently because he admires many aspects of Saint Benedict’s teaching in the Holy Rule and so is pursuing them through the many avenues and venues available to him. Let us strive to do our part. It is not enough to desire peace we must actively work towards it.

 I write these words in mid-January when, liturgically, we are in between the seasons of Christmas-Epiphany and Lent-Easter. In the monastery we are keenly aware of liturgical seasons, they regulate and color our prayer life. Duringa transition time like this our thoughts vacillate between looking back at the peace and joy we experienced at the birth of Christ while looking forward to the celebration of his death and resurrection which is the foundation event of our Christian faith.