Millennial writer Meghan Clark writes:

For Catholics, peace is more than a sentiment—it shapes the rhythm of our worship. We begin by seeking peace in prayer, and Mass ends with a charge to “go in peace.” Peace is, at once, a prayer, a promise, and a practice….

Peaceful communities are not passive; they are active, engaged, and built on relationships rooted in justice and compassion. Yet all people are flawed and finite. It is in the promise of God’s peace that we find the confidence and hope to keep striving to be peacemakers.

Justice and truth go hand in hand with peacemaking. “Working for peace requires acting justly,” Pope Leo said in his address—both in response to broad social issues and within our personal relationships. Chan echoes this conviction: “Peacemaking is the responsibility of all Christians, and justice is the basis for authentic peacemaking. I believe that each of us can do something to promote peace in our contemporary world.”

Alongside justice, Pope Leo names truth as a requirement for peace. In an era of fake news, virtual reality, and vague communication, he warns, “It is difficult to build authentic relationships.” For Chan, the antidote is clear: Building peace requires dialogue and mutual respect….

Building peacemaking into our daily lives—and into our local communities—begins with attentiveness to peace at Mass, when we gather to pray. But how do we nurture practices that preserve the sign of peace as a prayerful gesture of connection, especially across our many differences? How do we recover this moment as one that draws us into deeper communion, reminding us that we are part of a single body of faith?

Perhaps it begins with making space for grace in the personal—in silence, in prayer, and in small acts of mercy. When peace takes root in these intimate places, then perhaps the wider practices for social and political peace will seem possible.