Blessed Are the Peacemakers
one
The 7th Beatitude is Blessed are the Peacemakers
If we want peace, then it begins with getting reconciled with God – there is no other way around it.
Pope Benedict writes: “Peace begins with a fundamental decision that St. Paul passionately begs us to make in the name of God: ‘We beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.’”2 Cor 5:20
He goes on to say “Enmity (the state of being an enemy of God) is the source of all that poisons man; overcoming this enmity is the basic condition for peace in the world.
Only the man who is reconciled with God can also be reconciled and in harmony with himself, and only the man who is reconciled with God and with himself can establish peace around him and throughout the world.”
If you want peace in the world, then it begins with first being reconciled to God.
two
We are all the Gerasene Demoniac
In Mark chapter 5 Jesus and the Apostles reached the country of the Gerasenes on the other side of the Sea of Galilee, and no sooner had he left the boat than a man possessed by a legion of demons confronts Jesus. A legion is more than 5000 demons! Catching sight of Jesus from a distance, he ran up and fell at his feet and shouted at the top of his voice, 'What do you want with me, Jesus, son of the Most High God? Swear by God you will not torture me!' For Jesus had been saying to him, 'Come out of the man, unclean spirit'. And Jesus drove the demons into the herd of pigs who rushed down the steep cliffs and were drown. When the people of the vicinity heard about this they came to Jesus and saw the demoniac sitting there, clothed, in his full senses and totally at peace. Then Jesus said to the man, 'Go home to your people and tell them all that the Lord in his mercy has done for you'. So the man went off and told everyone all that Jesus had done for him. And all were amazed.
I am this man, you are this man, we are all this man. Sooner or later every one of our lives becomes unmanageable and out of control. Only Jesus has to power to restore us to peace. Now realize this, the Gerasene Demoniac did not have to go looking for Jesus – no, Jesus came looking for him. In the same way Jesus is pursuing you – right now – if only you would stop running, sit still, be silent and ask him to take total control of your life. Do that now.
three
Sin makes man an enemy of God.
That is a pretty strong statement, but think about it. When we sin we turn away from God. If we make sin a habit, if sin becomes second nature, for that is what a habit is, then our nature is to turn away from or reject God. Pretty straightforward. God never rejects a person. We reject Him. We run from him and keep running.
In the Approved apparition of San Nicolas Argentina that took place in the 1980’s Our Lady said to the visionary: “God's warning is over the world. Those who stay in the Lord have nothing to fear, but those who deny what comes from him do. Two-thirds of the world is lost (in danger of rejecting God and Heaven) and the other part must pray and make reparation for the Lord to take pity. The devil wants to have full domination over the earth. He wants to destroy. The earth is in great danger."
We are all the Gerasene Demoniac! Why is the world out of control – the root cause is sin. Why is my life out of control? The root cause is my sin – because I am living in some way that is disordered.
Jesus is the only one who can restore my life and the world to peace! That is why Jesus waits for us, through the instrument of the priest, in the Sacrament of Reconciliation.
Like the Gerasene Demoniac, Jesus reconciles us to God and then sends us on a rescue mission back to our family and friends.
four
God gave us a way to help the 2/3s of the world that is distant from God to be reconciled to Him.
It is 1st Saturdays of Reparation. God and Our Lady asked us to live out 1st Saturdays and by this means He would bring countless millions and billions back to him.
On December 10, 1925, the Mother of God appeared to Sr. Lucia, the last living visionary of Fatima, also appearing with her, by Her side, elevated on a luminous cloud, was the Child Jesus. The Most Holy Virgin rested Her hand on Lucia’s shoulder, and as She did so, She showed her a Heart encircled by thorns, which She was holding in Her other hand. At the same time, the Child said:
“Have compassion on the Heart of your Most Holy Mother, covered with thorns, with which ungrateful men pierce It at every moment, and there is no one to make an act of Reparation to remove them.”
Then the Most Holy Virgin said: “Look my daughter, at My Heart, surrounded with thorns with which ungrateful men pierce Me at every moment by their blasphemies and ingratitude. You at least try to console Me and announce in My name that I promise to assist at the moment of death, with all the graces necessary for salvation, all those who, on the first Saturday of five consecutive months shall confess, receive Holy Communion, recite five decades of the Rosary, and keep Me company for fifteen minutes while meditating on the fifteen mysteries of the Rosary, with the intention of making Reparation to Me.”
Do First Saturdays for yourself and offer it for all your family and loved ones far from God. Then be like the Gerasene man and tell them what Our Lady promised to those who do 1st Saturdays – she promises to give them all the graces necessary for salvation!
Then leave them to think about it.
five
Blessed are the Peacemakers
God’s plan for world peace is for those who are listening, on the first Saturday of five consecutive months to go to confession, receive the Eucharist, pray the Rosary and think about the life of Jesus for 15 minutes, all with the intention of making reparation for the offenses against the Sacred and Immaculate Hearts of Jesus and Mary.
Then spread the message – I highly doubt anyone will kill you or refuse to ever talk to you again if you invite them to First Saturdays and tell them the benefit – the promise of Heaven and Peace of soul.
Sr. Lucia later wrote that peace or war depends on the Five First Saturdays of Reparation along with Consecration to Her Immaculate Heart because God has promised to save the world and souls by this means.
This Saturday is First Saturday – will you answer her call?