Sermon
“Peace is a gift, it is a hand-made gift that we have to work at every single day, but work at it in the smallest details: in the little things”. This was pointed out by Pope Francis in his sermon, at the Mass officiated at Santa Marta House – the first one after the summer break – to coincide with the Day of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary. “Big manifestos for peace are not enough – Francis said –, big international meetings are not enough if such peace is not then made on a small scale. Actually, you can speak of peace with great words, throw a big conference… But if, on a small scale, in your heart there is no peace, if in your family there is no peace, if in your neighbourhood there is no peace, at your workplace there is no peace, there won’t be any peace in the world either”. One should ask God, the Pope suggested, for the grace of the “wisdom to make peace in the little things, but aiming at the horizon of all men”, just now – he repeated – that “we are going through a war, and everyone is asking for peace”. And meanwhile, Francis ended, one should start with this question: “How does your heart feel, today? Is it at peace? If it is not at peace, before you speak of peace, put your heart at peace. How is your family, today? Is it at peace? If you can’t lead your family, your presbytery, your congregation, lead it on peacefully, words of peace for the world are not enough… This is the question I would like to ask, today: how is the heart of each of us? Is it at peace? How is the family of each of us? Is it at peace? Is it? So as get out to the world, peacefully”.
