Everywhere we go in these few weeks, we hear the themes of Christmas songs – the cheerful, communal side of Christmas.
Peace is a gift that the world still needs. We hear peace echoed in the carols, greetings and prayers across the world.
There are many symbols or images to remind us of the changing season. One image is the brightly coloured flowers on still-upright stalks. Their shiny sword-shaped green leaves contrast brightly against the colour of the purple and white of the flowers – agapanthus. Their name comes from the Greek agape – love – and anthus – flower. Little did I know these umbels of purple and white were flowers of love. It’s impossible not to love them, they are easy to grow. They remind me that Christmas is on the way.
As well as spreading love at this time, we are called to be people of peace.
Indeed, peace is the essence of all religions. The musical “Come From Away” tells of an event following the atrocities of 11 September 2001.
It shares the incredible real-life story of the 7000 airline passengers from all over the world who were grounded in Canada in the wake of 9/11, and the small Newfoundland community that invited these ‘come from aways’ into their lives. The song ‘Make me a channel of your peace’ united them and indeed bonded them in a deep level, and showed how hospitality, friendship and peace can change people. The anonymous text is normally called the Prayer of St Francis and it is a widely known Christian prayer for peace.
Peace can feel fragile in a world marked by conflict, division and uncertainty. The message of Christmas invites us to look deeper – to the quiet, unassuming place where peace was born: in a humble manger, under a star, in the vulnerability of the child Jesus.
This peace is grounded in love, forgiveness and trust. Some may feel an absence of peace the closer that Christmas comes. To live Christmas peace means to make room for gentleness in a hurried world. It might mean choosing to listen, choosing compassion over competition. It might be as simple as forgiving someone who has hurt us, reaching out to someone lonely, or offering a kind word to a stranger.
Mary and Joseph can be inspirations for us at this time – when in weariness and uncertainty, they found peace in trusting God’s promise.
Peace is more than just a word we sing at Christmas. May it be a way of life for us – our families, our communities and our world.
Through the songs we sing at Christmas, we are invited not only to remember the peace of that first Christmas night, but to carry that same peace into our lives today.
Peace is not just an absence of war, but a profound, active and transformative reality.
After his election, Pope Leo XIV greeted the world, as he appeared on the balcony of St Peter’s Basilica, with the words: “Peace be with you all”.
He urges us that peace must begin in our hearts. And encourages us in his latest Exhortation “Delexi Te” – that peace is linked with caring for the poor, marginalised and the whole of creation.
How many times is the word peace used in the Old and New Testaments? Biblical scholars do not agree on just one number, so let’s say it’s used more than 300 times. Biblical peace means completeness or wholeness, it points to the presence of something else. Peace is the fruit of a life that trusts Jesus and is dependent on the Holy Spirit.
Apart from God, we cannot conjure up peace on our own. May we be co-creators of peace this Christmas. We are reminded that the gift of Christ is also a mission: to be bearers of peace to our families, communities and our world – gathering with loved ones, exchanging gifts, decorating, and enjoying the season of peace.
Sr Rita Malavisi RSJ is the Faith Formation Coordinator at the Mary MacKillop Spirituality Centre, Melbourne.
This article was originally published in the 2025 Advent & Christmas | Summer edition of the Catholic Outlook Magazine. You can read the digital version here or pick up a copy in your local parish.
