Everyone knows that tomorrow is New Year’s Day. Tonight there will be a lot of noise and silliness and, sadly, probably a few accidents because many people feel compelled to begin the New Year with a party.

In the Catholic Church, this day is set aside for yet another purpose. It has been designated by the Universal Church as the World Day of Prayer for Peace. Pray for peace? Do we really need to be reminded about that? Aren’t we all aware of the agony, the suffering, the waste of lives and material resources that war brings? Aren’t we conscious of how much pain is in our families because of violence and anger? We need peace in our living rooms, peace at the dining room table. We need peace at the playgrounds. We need peace between the nearly 200 governments that exist on this planet.

By all means, let’s make a key resolution that we will put praying for peace into our daily schedule for morning and night prayers and occasionally through the day when the thought comes to us.

Peace, what a beautiful thought. Peace, what a necessity. Peace, how elusive because of human failure.

May you have a happy and blessed New Year.

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