new year's resolutions

new year's day is traditionally celebrated by the catholic church as the world day of peace. i can't think of a better way to start the new year.

as such, our priest's sermon this morning was about peace. he quoted some thoughts by ron rolheiser which i thought were especially poignant. i don't know what specific piece of writing father tim was inspired by but i did a little internet searching and found this article.

in the article, ron rolheiser is speaking about working toward peace and how, quite simply, we need to be the change we wish to see in the world. he further states (and i wholehearted connect to this) that we often get overwhelmed with the lack of peace in our world and the seemingly impenetrable amount of destruction and inequality that we often just think that we can't really do anything about them. but, he says:

"Large, global issues notwithstanding, issues of personal integrity are generally what make or break our happiness, not to mention our character and our intimate relationships. In the end, they aren't petty concerns at all. They shape the big things. Social morality is simply a reflection of private morality. What we see in the global picture is simply a magnification of the human heart."

in other words, ron rolheiser is asking: how can we build a just world without first dealing with these issues in the inner recesses of our hearts? how often do i snap back at someone with a hurtful witticism, or lay someone off with a passive-aggressive response? how often do i harbor my own feelings of destruction and inequality which inevitably taint my actions?

ron rolheiser asks: "How are we to build a just, loving world, if we cannot, first of all, tame selfishness inside us?"