Joseph Cardinal Bernardin

Jesus, when we live peacefully with one another we grow in holiness. Help us to become a peaceful, holy people. Amen.

When the risen Jesus appeared to his disciples, he said, "Peace be with you." This statement expressed his gift to the disciples. It also was a challenge. The apostles realized that if they were to truly believe in the risen Christ, they had to be people of peace themselves.

The risen Christ challenges us to be his hands and feet in today's world. We too are called to work for peace at all levels of society---international, national, local, and within families. Joseph Cardinal Bernardin was a twentieth-century Christian who took this challenge seriously. In everything he did, he strove to bring people reconciliation with God and with others.

In the final two months of his life, Cardinal Bernardin wrote a book detailing his life from the previous three years. He wrote about dealing with a public (and false) accusation of sexual misconduct, a diagnosis of cancer, and the return of the cancer after a remission of fifteen months. Most important, Cardinal Bernardin shared with others God's gift of peace. We would do well to follow his example in our own lives.

Family Activity

	Create a peace motto for your family. It could be a general statement calling for peace or it could be a phrase that has specific meaning for your family (e.g., "Peace begins here," "Peace means brothers and sisters get along") Then make a plaque, or design lettering to frame. This will provide you with a pleasant reminder of your peace promise to display.

See the Liturgical Calendar on this site for additional information.
See also Catechist—Lent or Teacher—Lent for Liturg