Christ is our peace. For twenty centuries he has been repeating to us: peace I leave with you, my peace I give you. He says it to each one of us so that with our lives we can proclaim it throughout the world, in that world, perhaps a small one, in which our daily existence unfolds.
The life of the first Christians helped many to find the meaning of their existence. They brought peace to their families and to the society in which they lived. In many inscriptions of that time we can find the greeting with which they invoked and wished each other peace. This peace, which is of God, will remain on earth as long as there are men of good will. A good part of our apostolate will consist in bringing serenity and joy to the people around us; with greater urgency the greater the restlessness and sadness we encounter in our path. "It is the duty of every Christian to bring peace and happiness to the various environments of the earth, in a crusade of righteousness and joy, which stirs up even the hearts of those who are weak and rotten, and lifts them up to Him".
Others should remember every Christian as a man, a woman, who - although he had sufferings and trials like others - offered to the world a smiling and sacrificial image, kind and serene, because he lived as a child of God. This can be the purpose of our prayer today: "May no one read sadness or pain on your face, when you spread the aroma of your sacrifice throughout the world: the children of God must always be sowers of peace and joy". This is only possible when we are aware of our divine filiation.
Knowing that we are children of God will give us firm peace, not subject to the ups and downs of sentiment or the incidents of each day, serenity and firmness, which we need so much. Maintaining this open and friendly disposition towards others will encourage us to fight seriously against possible antipathies, which have their foundation in an unsupernatural vision of people; against roughness of character, which takes away the peace of the environment and indicates a lack of mortification; against selfishness; against comfort..., which are serious obstacles to friendship and to the apostolate.
The sincere desire for peace that the Lord places in our hearts should lead us to avoid absolutely everything that causes division and unrest: negative judgments about others, backbiting, criticism, complaints.
Let us turn to the Virgin, our Mother, so as never to lose joy and serenity. "Holy Mary is - this is how the Church invokes her - the Queen of Peace. Therefore, when your soul, the family or professional environment, the coexistence in society or among peoples is in turmoil, do not cease to acclaim her with that title: 'Regina pacis, ora pro nobis!" -Queen of peace, pray for us! Have you tried it, at least, when you lose your peace of mind?....-. You will be surprised at its immediate efficacy".