What great joy the disciples of Jesus felt when they heard His greeting after His death: “Peace be with you!”. At that moment their situation did not change at all. Rome still remained powerful, their fear did not vanish and their problems remained. But their hearts changed for Jesus spoke to their fears and peacelessness. 

His word brings peace. The stormy sea calms down and evil forces fell silent according to Jesus’s word. Jesus’s voice is a call-word to change life and follow Him. His voice makes all things new and works miracles. Mary reminds us that Jesus’s word acts even today and we can hear it in prayer. He sends Her so that She may be by our side as She was beside the disciples in their time of fear and peacelessness. She helped them to stay together, persevere in prayer and never lose hope. 

In these difficult times when She tells us that mankind is at a crossroads and peace is in danger Her voice echoes from Medjugorje: “Return to God and to God’s Commandments that it may be good for you on earth, and that you may come out of this crisis into which you have entered because you are not listening to God Who loves you and desires to save you and lead you to a new life” (25.03.2022). 

Mary teaches us that peace begins in a heart that has drawn close to God in prayer. Peace in the family and in the world begins in our own heart. We cannot bring peace if we do not possess it ourselves. Peace of heart is gained through uniting our own sufferings with those of Jesus. The saints are witnesses to us that we can bring Jesus’s peace even when there extreme anxiety reigns around us and when war and hatred rage. 

In Auschwitz St. Maximilian Kolbe bore witness that one can keep peace of his heart even in the midst of hell, violence, hatred and death. 

When a prisoner who was pleading for salvation of his life for the sake of his wife and children was condemned to die Maximilian Kolbe stepped out of line and offered to go in his place. Kolbe could not change Auschwitz. He could not stop the war. He could not abolish the violence surrounding him but he could decide what would be in his heart. His heart belonged to Jesus. He brought love where hatred had reigned. He brought trust where fear had prevailed. He witnessed life where death ruled. For us his story is also an encouragement to be carriers of peace where we live. 

Saint Mother Teresa lived among people who were sick, abandoned and dying on the streets. Every day she faced great suffering. She was unable to satisfy all the needs of the world. However each person she encountered could feel that they were not alone and that someone loved them. Her peace did not come from an easy life. It came from prayer and awareness that Jesus was in each person whom she served. 

The Queen of peace teaches us to be very concrete in how we bring peace. The carrier of peace is one who works responsibly on the conversion of his heart. He strives to live Her main messages: prayer, daily reflection on God’s word, fasting, frequent confession, the Eucharist and doing good deeds. 

Let us set a resolution for ourselves in this new school year: we do not need to solve all the problems of the world but we can bring peace to a person we will meet. Let us start at home, in our families and communities. 

Every day we may forgive someone, listen to someone, encourage a sad person. Every day we may choose peace instead of quarreling and we may pray for someone. 

Prayer 

We thank You, Our Heavenly Mother for guiding us toward God and prayer. Help us to return to Him especially in moments of temptation, fear and peacelessness. 

We thank You for the Rosary which You give us as precocious means and a guarantee through which we may ask for the priceless gift of peace. Help us to renew a family prayer, to create prayer communities and to persevere in prayer together with You until peace reigns in our hearts, families and all over the world. 

Amen.