Ninth Day of Christmas: Commit to Non Violence


Pope Francis’ World Day of Peace Message for 2017, Nonviolence: a Style of Politics for Peace celebrates the 50th anniversary of this series of Papal Statements  This call is one that challenges deep seated attitudes and values among people of good will. 
Pope Francis writes from a pastoral perspective and grounds his religious approach in a language that does not alienate the general reader. The World Day of Peace message challenges all of us and our relationships in the global village. Thanks to Sandie Cornish and  John Dear S for providing a framework that helps us engage with the text

http://avecmumbaidbys.blogspot.com/2011/09/prayer-service-non-violence-gandhi.html .
In 2011 Dear published a reflection that has not dated and cannot be read too often:  Christmas challenge for a nonviolent Australia  

"I hope people of faith in Australia will speak out with renewed vigour against the US military and pursue the Christmas vision of peace. I hope they will organise and build a nonviolent movement to turn away the US military presence and herald the coming of a new nonviolent Australia."


In his 2012 New Year's Day  reflection Dear offers one way into this nonviolent movement. He invites people of Christian Faith to Vow of Non Violence as a religious act. The Vow of Nonviolence was composed by Eileen Egan and Rev. John Dear.  Tens of thousands of people have taken the Vow. The Vow of Nonviolence can be pronounced privately, with a local peace community, as part of a parish liturgy, or any other way that suits you. Many profess the Vow each year as part of their New Year observance


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