By Canon Philip Gillespie

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The Feast of Christmas Day last year (2025!) ushered in a whole season of Christmas feasts, and on 1 January this year we kept the Feast of the Mother of God, a day of particular prayer for world peace.

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In the Mass each day, we pray for peace in that lovely prayer before the receiving of the Lord in Holy Communion: “Deliver us Lord, we pray, from every evil, graciously grant peace in our days that by the help of your mercy we may be always free from sin and safe from all distress as we await the blessed hope and the coming of our Saviour, Jesus Christ.”

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Peace is not merely the absence of conflict or violence, but is a state of living where we acknowledge the source and origin of all things and entrust ourselves to the providence and care of God the Father knowing, as Saint Paul says, “that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to His purpose” (Romans 8:28).

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It is, therefore, well suited that the first day of the new calendar year should be dedicated to the Blessed Virgin – she was the one who, embracing the message of the Angel Gabriel, declared herself to be “the Handmaid of the Lord: be it done to me according to your Word” (Luke 1:38).

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When Pope Leo was leaving Lebanon a few weeks ago at the end of his Apostolic visit, he said: “In embracing all of you, I express my aspiration for peace, along with a heartfelt appeal: may the attacks and hostilities cease. We must recognise that armed struggle brings no benefit. While weapons are lethal, negotiation, mediation and dialogue are constructive. Let us all choose peace as a way, and not just as a goal!”

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What might our resolution be for this year which opens out before us? Well, to be peacebuilders, peacemakers perhaps, not on the worldwide stage of international politics but on the smaller, more homely but no less fundamental stage of our daily living. Peace goes hand in hand with justice, and justice needs to go hand in hand with mercy and compassion - good resolutions which can be applied to us all.