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Blessed Are the PeacemakersSeptember 08, 2026
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Blessed Are the Peacemakers
With the 25th anniversary of 9/11 approaching and the daily violence we experience on a global scale, my thoughts turn to peace, that elusive goal for which we all search. I find John Dear’s slim volume, Mary of Nazareth, Prophet of Peace, a source of hope. In the Foreword Joan Chittister writes, “We have clearly strayed from the Mount of the Beatitudes.” (Dear, 2003, p. 10) His book “takes us back to our roots. It is a troubling little book.” (Ibid.) Troubling, indeed, because it reminds us of how we have lost our way to finding peace. Beyond troubling, however, it is a challenging book because it presents the possibility of growing in grace with Mary as a beacon lighting our path forward.
Mary’s Annunciation and Visitation experiences are evidence of her peaceful heart that rested in the heart of Jesus. She was a woman of deep contemplative prayer, a model for us. “Over time, as we sit in the presence of God and read the gospels, this contemplative prayer leads us to the realization that God is a God of love, a God of peace, a God of nonviolence.”(Dear, 2003, p. 30)
Shortly after the angel Gabriel appeared to Mary, she embarked on the arduous journey to visit Elizabeth. Dear suggests that we read the Visitation story with a focus on “Mary’s active nonviolence, in this case, her loving service, affectionate friendship, and community building.” (Dear, 2003, p. 59) This approach opens for me a new way of understanding nonviolence. It broadens nonviolence to include reaching out to others with generosity of heart. Building community is essentially a practice of nonviolence.
We are desperately in need of those who live out of a nonviolent heart. Contemplative prayer leads us to a deeper relationship with God. It’s the solid foundation for becoming holy, filled with the peace that was Mary’s. May we be people of prayer and kindness who bring peace to our hurting world.
Dear, J. (2003). Mary of Nazareth, Prophet of Peace. Ave Maria Press, Inc.