The Word of Life for November 2021 invites us to be peacemakers. In this text, Chiara Lubich explains how to become one. Do you know who the peacemakers are that Jesus is talking about? They are not people we call “peaceful,” who only want a quiet life, who don’t like arguments. They might seem naturally inclined to get along with others, but frequently they secretly would rather not be disturbed or have any trouble. Nor are peacemakers those good people who, trusting in God, do not react when they are provoked or insulted. Peacemakers are those who love peace so much that they are not afraid to intervene in a conflict to bring peace to those involved. Only those who possess peace can be bearers of peace. First of all, we have to be bearers of peace by the way we behave in each moment, living in harmony with God and his will. Peacemakers strive to create bonds, to establish relationships among people, to resolve tensions, to alleviate the atmosphere of “cold war” that can often prevail in some family situations, at work, in school, during sporting events, between nations, and so on.

Chiara Lubich

(Chiara Lubich, in Parole di Vita, [Words of Life] edited by Fabio Ciardi, Opere di Chiara Lubich, Città Nuova, 2017, p. 196)