Sixth Tuesday of Ordinary Time

The Lord will bless his people with peace. The God of glory thunders, and in his temple all say, “Glory!” The LORD is enthroned above the flood; the LORD is enthroned as king forever.

Peace is something most people strive for. We don’t like arguments or confrontations. We want people to live in security and without fear of harm to themselves or their loved ones. When asked about wishes for the world, many people will say they wish for peace. And yet, the world is full of war, conflicts, and arguments. We might wonder why God allows this, but it always comes back to mankind’s free will. We could not love without it, but the flip side is true without free will we couldn’t hate, either. We have to take the good with the bad of free will… and hope one day the good wins out. If not in this world, then in the next.

Are we striving for peace in our own lives? Are we using our free wills to foster love and not hate? How can we bring peace to those around us?

O Lord, help us to use our free will to be people of peace.

Amen.