15 January.  War and possessiveness. SEE:  Some of the Old Testament books are full of accounts of war and destruction as the people of Israel were building themselves into a nation. They believed God was on their side and the Ark of the Covenant was a symbol of God’s presence, to make them victorious over their enemies. They came to rely on this to give them power over their enemies and were devastated when they were defeated by the Philistines and the Ark was captured. Currently brutal wars over land and possessions are being fought in different parts of the world. Who of those involved genuinely believe that God approves and is on their side?  Even within families mini-wars are fought over possessions when a parent dies, and on a much smaller scale possessiveness and a belief that “I have my rights” and “God is on my side” exists.

JUDGE, reflect and share: Scripture: Let us fetch the Ark of our God so that it may come among us and rescue us from the power of our enemies. from Samuel 4: 1-11. Pope Francis:  Christian spirituality proposes a growth marked by moderation and the capacity to be happy with little.  LS 222.    Pope Leo:  When we treat peace as a distant ideal, we cease to be scandalized when it is denied, or even when war is waged in its name. We seem to lack those “right ideas,” the well-considered words and the ability to say that peace is near. When peace is not a reality that is lived, cultivated and protected, then aggression spreads into domestic and public life. In the relations between citizens and rulers, it could even be considered a fault not to be sufficiently prepared for war, not to react to attacks, and not to return violence for violence.  The peace of the risen Jesus is unarmed, because his was an unarmed struggle in the midst of concrete historical, political and social circumstances. Christians must together bear prophetic witness to this novelty, mindful of the tragedies in which they have too often been complicit. The great parable of the Last Judgment invites all Christians to act with mercy in this awareness (cf. Mt 25:31-46).  Message of Peace 1 Jan.   Christians don’t have enemies, only brothers and sisters. 

ACT: Decide on possible appropriate action towards an attitude and belief in peace.   Conclude with prayer