Practical Ways That Families Can Contribute to Peace in the World

Paul VI said, "If you want peace, work for justice". We can all work for peace and justice in our families, our neighbourhoods, our cities, and our nations.

From Aleteia

By Philip Kosloski

If we want there to be peace and unity in the world, it must start with each individual of every family, striving for peace at home.

One of the most talked about issues in today's society is "world peace." There seems to be war and conflict everywhere, especially if you turn on the TV or go on social media. Violence is everywhere and there seems little that individual families could do to turn the tide.

While that might seem to be the case, the reality is that world peace can only be established when there is peace in each family.

Peace begins at home

Pope John XXIII reiterated this simple fact in his encyclical, Ad Petri Cathedram:

We have called nations, their rulers, and all classes of society to harmonious unity. Now we sincerely urge families to achieve and strengthen this unity within themselves. For unless peace, unity, and concord are present in domestic society, how can they exist in civil society?

The reality is that wherever there is war or violence, there is an individual who is part of a family. That individual was formed in such a way that made it possible for them to be susceptible to the temptation to cause conflict. It all began with the family they were raised in.

Pope John XXIII continues by explaining, "This harmonious unity which should exist within the family circle rises from the holiness and indissolubility of Christian marriage. It is the basis of much of the order, progress, and prosperity of civil society."

So much of the divide in today's world is the result of the breaking of marriages across the globe. Marriage is meant to be the foundation of every family and when that foundation crumbles, so does the family.

Pope John XXIII then pointed to each member of the family and the practical things they are entrusted with:

Within the family, the father stands in God's place. He must lead and guide the rest by his authority and the example of his good life.

The mother, on the other hand, should form her children firmly and graciously by the mildness of her manner and by her virtue.

Together the parents should carefully rear their children, God's most precious gift, to an upright and religious life.

Children must honor, obey, and love their parents. They must give their parents not only solace but also concrete assistance if it is needed.

He then concludes this reflection by stating, "The charity which burned in the household at Nazareth should be an inspiration for every family. All the Christian virtues should flourish in the family, unity should thrive, and the example of its virtuous living should shine brightly."

While electing certain politicians to office certainly has an influence on world dynamics, the reality is that the politician we vote for was raised in a family.

If we don't foster peace in the family, then we'll never have peace in the world.