Open Reflections

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Full-blown Peace

“The word peace was the most important topic in our lives in this year. Who should be the first to respond to the human desire for peace, full-blown peace with God’s orders, grounded with love and justice? We Christians are called to be the first peace-builders in this world.”

This is what Cardinal Andrew Yeom Soo-Jung, Archbishop of Seoul, said in the message sent to his community for Christmas, reported Fides News Agency.

“As Pope Francis has always stressed we should keep mercy in our minds which enables endless forgiveness and unconditional sharing.

We, above all, should start from prayers.

True peace is God’s gift which we can receive only when we ask for through prayers. Thus, let’s keep devoting our prayers to peace on the Korean Peninsula,” the Cardinal wrote.

“However, the road to peace is long and tough.

We, the faithful, should keep patience and continue praying while doing our best in our everyday lives.

We, by becoming those on whom his favor rests, finally can achieve peace which Christ promised.”

(Zenit.org, 21/12/2018)

 

Why should I forgive?

It is a reason for great joy that we gather for the celebration of the Eucharist around this altar. It has become a symbol of your suffering, that, when joined to the sacrifice of Christ, becomes a source of peace and salvation for the world.

From ancient times, the Christian community in this city has been marked by vibrant faith, even amid all kinds of hardship and persecution. You yourselves have experienced trials, injustice, betrayal, and the destruction of all that you held most sacred, like this cathedral.

Ιn God’s saving plan, your sacrifices will be no less fruitless than the witness of the many martyrs who, from the first centuries of Christianity, bathed this land with their blood and lived their faith heroically to the end.

Οur response as Christians to the gift of our becoming God’s sons and daughters is seen in forgiveness. The word of God that we just heard shows the importance of forgiveness, and the hope born from faith, for the building of a new world.

We may ask ourselves: Why should I forgive? Why should I cancel debts? The answer is very simple: because that is what God does. Practicing forgiveness draws us closer to God. Through forgiveness, let us overcome evil with good, transform hatred into love, and thus render the world more pure.

Cardinal Parolin speaking to the faithful in Qaraqosh, Iraq, Dec. 2018 (excerpts)

 

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