Peace must start within

Last night, we completed our study of Esther de Waal's book, Seeking God. One final quote to share,

Peace is an overriding objective of Benedictine life, and pax has become a Benedictine watchword. Let peace be your request and aim;" "Seek peace and pursue it."

Lack of interior peace threatens the whole frabric of the community and that is why St. Benedict starts here, where that lack of peace begins, inside ourselves, with the murmuring which fragments and destroys us. When there is so much concern today with the peace of the world, when peace movements multiply and peace groups proliferate, and the discussion of peace-making becomes more and more urgent and insistent, St. Benedict brings us back to this very simple and basic root: peace must start within myself. How can I hope to contribute to the peace of the world when I cannot resolve my own inner conflicts?

Next Wednesday, we will project the video of Max McLean performing the Gospel of Mark which he has memorized and tells as a storyteller in a powerful 1 hour and 41 minute performance which is an effortless way to hear the Gospel in its entirity. Mark is the Gospel we will read each Sunday this church year and this one-time presentation will be a wonderful way to capture the power and immediacy of the oldest Gospel. We'll meet for this on December 21 from 7-8:45 p.m.