PASTORAL LETTER
FROM THE ARCHBISHOP OF WESTMINSTER
(Read at all Masses on 31st Dec 05 - 1st Jan 06)
My dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
As you hear this, I hope to be in Sri Lanka, seeing for myself a small part of the destruction wrought by the tsunami last Boxing Day. The trip has been arranged by Cafod, which is doing wonderful work out there helping to rebuild communities, thanks to the amazing generosity of the Catholic people of these islands. In the name of the Sri Lankan people, and of all those whom Cafod is assisting, I want to thank you for keeping before you the plight of the poor, giving compassionately to them as members of your own human family.
Sri Lanka, as you will know, has endured much violence and warfare these past years, and I hope that my visit can contribute, in any small way possible, to reconciliation on that island. And on this New Year's Day, the feast of Mary, the Mother of God, I want to put before you thoughts and intentions about peace: peace in our world, peace in your homes, peace in your hearts. How beautifully the first reading today expresses that prayerful longing: "May the Lord bless you and keep you. May the Lord let His face shine on you and be gracious to you. May the Lord uncover His face to you and bring you peace". As Pope Benedict XVI says in his message for the World Day of Peace, peace is "a heavenly gift and a divine grace" which demands from us "the exercise of the highest responsibility: that of conforming human history - in truth, justice, freedom and love - to the divine order."
His theme is the essential link between peace and truth. Violence and conflict always go hand in hand with lies that poison relationships. The truth which Jesus proclaimed in His person was that all people are members of the one and the same human family. But everywhere we see that truth denied: in extremist ideologies and nationalisms; in religious fundamentalism which disfigure the face of God; and in acts of terrorism behind which lie a despair of humanity and a contempt for people. The foundations of peace, says Pope Benedict, rest on the truth about God and man. This "truth of peace" calls on us all to develop sincere relationships, to seek forgiveness and reconciliation, to be transparent in our dealings with others and to be faithful to their word.
The way of achieving this truth of peace is prayer. Prayer softens our hearts, opens ourselves to others, breaks down the barriers that our fear and our anxieties so often erect. Please pray for those countries where there is warfare and fratricidal hatred; the people in those countries are our human family. Pray especially for the Middle East, and particularly the town of Jesus' birth which is suffering in a particular way the consequences of the conflict there. Pray for disarmament, and a strengthening of international humanitarian law. Pray, too, for justice. As Paul VI said so well, the new name for peace is development. Without a fairer distribution of resources and the right to fulfill basic human needs of the millions who live below the poverty line, there will never be peace in our world.
I want you also to pray, as I will be praying, for peace in your homes. In today's Gospel we have a wonderful image of Jesus, Mary and Joseph. Joseph was faithful to Mary even though the child she carried was not his own. Mary was faithful to Jesus even to the foot of the Cross. There was so much that neither Mary or Joseph understood about what was happening around them; but they learned to trust, to accept, the will of God. Mary listened, and pondered these strange things in her heart. I know that there is no family in any parish that does not have some kind of trouble. The Chinese have a proverb that says, "Nobody's family can hang out the sign, 'Nothing the matter here'." Whatever your trouble, try to be loyal to each other. Give support, understanding and love, even if you feel aggrieved; forgive one another, even if you feel indignation. You will soon receive the divine gift of peace.
Lastly, I pray today for peace in your hearts. Peace in one's heart comes from seeking the will of God and trying the best you can to follow it. Mary's heart was always full of peace, particularly from the time she gave her assent to the Angel who asked her if she would be the Mother of the Son of God. Disturbance in our hearts comes from pursuing what benefits us, what we want. Peace in our hearts flows from doing what truly benefits and helps other people. The most peaceful people in our world are those who give themselves in service to others. I want to invite you, too, to be people of peace, and your homes beacons of that peace.
Dear friends, there will be many opportunities during this year to deepen and develop your faith and love for Jesus Christ in the world in which you live, in your parish, in your home, and in your heart. My prayer is that we will all open ourselves more fully to the will of God in our lives and respond with greater generosity and love. I wish you all a happy New Year and, above all, I wish peace in your world, in your home, and in your heart. May the Lord in 2006 uncover His face to you and bring you peace - that precious gift of God which He offers, with hands constantly outstretched, to our world.
Happy New Year
With an assurance of my prayers and kindest wishes,
Yours devotedly in Christ,
† Cormac
Archbishop of Westminster
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