War, Peace, Prayers

Today is the 1 January. This day happens to be:

a) The Solemnity of Mary, and

b) The World Day of Peace

Whilst there are other days called “days of peace” (one in September, I think; possibly others; can’t be bothered to check) I do not doubt that this day will be used in many more or less trendy churches to spread the usual thick layer of molasses over the already diabetes-endangered pewsitters. I would say that days like this one are a very good gauge to guess where your parish is going: if the diabetes-inducing “peaaaace” call has substituted or put Mary in the second place, you may want to think about attending elsewhere. If the peace issue got a mention en passant (for example during the bidding prayers) and the religious feast was at the centre of the homily you could be in a much worse parish. If Mary was the only issue of the day and the mass sugar-free, you are most probably in the right place.

I was attending in a church of the second type (very orthodox homily, by the way) and could not help wondering whether an appeal for “just wars” by the bidding prayers would make the same impression. Just war being a war that is considered inevitable to avoid a much bigger evil, a prayer that “just wars” may be the only wars to be fought is, in fact, every bit as Catholic  or peace-loving as a prayer for “peace”; but for some reason I have the impression that it would not be received with the same sense of self-satisfied goodness from the pewsitters, nor would it make the priest as popular.

We don’t like war, one would say. We don’t like death, either; but we still recite the Hail Mary every day; the same goes for hell and the Fatima prayer, & Co.

Once again: to pray that there may be only just wars is in no way less Catholic, or less pacific, than to pray that there may be no wars at all. If anything, it reminds one of the reality of this fallen world, with its unavoidable load of injustices, violence, oppression, and aggression. On the contrary, a generalised stance “against war”, whilst possibly formulated with the best of intentions, is easily misconstrued in a pacifist way; which is not only anti-Catholic, but stupid in the first place.

It seems, alas, that the modern churchgoer is like a very old, infirm man only able to take to himself the lightest and most digestible fare; but stray from the path of the obvious and banal – and be it even by remaining absolutely orthodox, and even absolutely peace loving – and you’re in trouble.

Mala tempora currunt

Mundabor