War is the work of the evil one, "there is no god of war" and
therefore religions, overcoming their divisions, are to pray for peace
in the common belief that "God is peace."It is with this spirit that Pope Francis travels to Assisi today, as he himself explained at Mass this morning in Casa Santa Marta, before leaving for the Umbrian town. To pray until we feel the "shame" of the war, not "shut our ears" to the cry of pain of men, women and children who suffer, while bombs drop stopping all humanitarian aid.
"Today - he said - men and women of all religions, we will go to Assisi. Not to put on a show: simply to pray and pray for peace" these are the first words of the Pope’s homily. Francis spoke of how in a letter "to all the bishops of the world he asked that today prayer meetings be organized "inviting" Catholics, Christians, believers and all men and women of good will, of all religions, to pray for peace ", since" the world is at war! The world is suffering”.
"Today's First Reading ends like this: He who shuts his ear to the cry of the poor will himself also call and not be heard”. If we now shut our ears to the cry of these people who are suffering under the bombs, suffering the exploitation of arms dealers, it may be that when it happens to us we will not receive any response. We cannot shut our ears to the cry of pain of our brothers and sisters who suffer from war".
We “do not see" the war. "We are frightened" by "some acts of terrorism" but "this has nothing to do with what happens in those countries, in those lands where the bombs fall and fall day and night " and "kill children, old, men, women…". "The war is far away?". "No! It 'very close "because" the war touches everyone”. "War begins in the heart. " "May the Lord give us peace in our hearts, remove from us all desire for greed, covetousness, to fight. No! Peace, peace! May our heart be a heart of a man or woman of peace. And beyond religious differences: All , all, all! Because we are all children of God. And God is a God of peace. There is no god of war: He who makes war is evil, it is the devil who wants to kill everyone".
Faced with this situation there can be no divisions of faith. Francis said, we must not just thank God “because maybe the war does not affect us." "We must also think of others." We think today is not only the bombs, the dead, the wounded; but also to the people - children and the elderly - which cannot get humanitarian aid or food to eat. They cannot get the medicines. They are hungry, sick! Because the bombs prevent this. And, while we pray today, it would be nice that all of us feel ashamed. Ashamed of this: that humans, our brothers, are able to do this. Today a day of prayer, penance, crying for peace; a day to hear the cry of the poor. This cry that opens the heart to compassion, love and save us from selfishness.