catholicworldreport.com
2025-10-10
On my way to the store last week, I found myself behind an SUV that had several stickers on its windows. The first that caught my eye was one that boasted "Happy Heathen." When I pulled up closer at a light, I saw that, in addition to a few that touted the benefits of camping, there was one that displayed the peace symbol and one that said "Pro Roe."
I thought it was sadly ironic that someone would have a sticker promoting peace while also promoting the death of preborn babies. Those two things cannot go together; abortion is antithetical to any notion of peace. And we will never achieve peace if we continue killing babies before they are born.
This truth has dominated my thoughts the last few days, especially since October is Respect Life Month and we just recently celebrated the Feast of St. Francis of Assisi--a man known for his devotion to peace.
We could all learn a lesson from this great saint: Peace can only be found through love--love of God and love of others. And authentic love means wanting what's best for another.
The Peace Prayer of St. Francis causes us to reflect on how we should promote that peace. It says, in part, "Lord, make me an instrument of peace. Where there is hatred, let me sow love."