Lent and Peace

Franciscan Friar Jack Wintz writes an article entitled Eight Attitudes for a Holy Lent in his e-newsletter entitled E-spirations at AmericanCatholic.org.

Some months ago I received an e-mail from a reader suggesting that Jesus’ eight beatitudes would make a good topic for E-spirations. As we stand at the threshold of Lent, the timing seems just right for us to explore this teaching of Jesus, which offers us eight attitudes for opening ourselves to God’s saving love.
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7. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.
The Hebrew word shalom helps us understand the full meaning of peace as a state wholeness and total health and well-being. When we wish someone peace in the biblical sense, this is what we are wishing them. When we are in tune with God’s healing and saving love, we are peacemakers, seeking to tear down walls of hatred, division, misunderstanding and prejudice. As instruments of God’s peace, we are instruments of wholeness and reconciliation in our world. We are then true children of God.

You can read the entire article here.