By Laudato Voices | Lent Spiritual Reflection on Peace | 22 Feb, 2026
As lent begins, our Laudato Voices invite us to reflect on ways through which we can cultivate peace but the first step is to reflect deeply with our heart on whether we ourselves are peaceful and have peace and well peace is defined in many ways across communities and cultures. As followers of Christ, we are called to see peace in the light of the Gospel truth, a peace rooted in Jesus’ mission to build a Kingdom of justice, human dignity, forgiveness born of reconciliation, and God’s boundless love. It is the very love that Christ shared with us as a gift after His forty days in the desert, when He proclaimed:
“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid” (John 14:27).
When we reflect on this peace, we realise it is neither fragile nor conditional. It is not political or temporary. It is divine and begins in the heart that has what to offer. We all know what and how much Jesus offered himself for our salvation, thats true love, the love that gives abundant peace.
Peace Begins Within
Therefore, Lent begins as an inward journey before it becomes an outward mission. Christ’s love and peace must first take root in our hearts before it can extend to our families, communities, and society. True peace is not possible without Christ. During these forty days, we are called to inner conversion by examining our inner turmoil, biases, and apathy.
True peace requires unity
It calls us to learn what creates and sustains peaceful societies: justice to the poor and vulnerable, respect for human dignity, protection of children the future of our world, and moral responsibility. This year’s Lent carries a big message, reminding us of the end of Pope Francis’s papacy and the beginning of Pope Leo XIV, all pointing to the message of Peace in Christ. When Pope Leo XIV was elected Pope, his very first greeting to the faithful and the world was a call for peace and a pledge to work for a united Church faithful to Jesus and the Gospel. We know that without these, peace is only a pause between conflicts. Pope Leo XIV has often invited us to build bridges of peace. He recounted how his predecessor, Pope Francis, blessed Rome and the whole world on Easter morning, wishing them peace just few hours before he re united with the Father and adding that God loves us all and that evil will not prevail! All of us are in God’s hands. So, let us move forward, without fear, together, hand in hand with God and with one another! We are followers of Christ. Christ goes before us. The world needs his light. Humanity needs him as the bridge that can lead us to God and his love. Help us, one and all, to build bridges through dialogue and encounter, joining together as one people, always at peace, and for this Lent, he has invited us to Abstain from harsh words and rash judgment.
Abstain from harsh words and rash judgement
According to Vatican News, Pope Leo XIV invited us to open ourselves to listening, fasting, and community, urging us to abstain from words of hatred in order to make space for words of hope and peace. “I would like to invite you to a very practical and frequently unappreciated form of abstinence: that of refraining from words that offend and hurt our neighbor.” and he continued “In the midst of the many voices present in our personal lives and in society,” he said, “Sacred Scripture helps us to recognize and respond to the cry of those who are anguished and suffering…., refraining from slander and speaking ill of those who are not present and cannot defend themselves,” he said. “Instead, let us strive to measure our words and cultivate kindness and respect in our families, among our friends, at work, on social media, in political debates, in the media and in Christian communities.” And as a youth ministry such powerful message moves us to think about the young people who are nurtured by an environment with all these kinds of difficulties and so we reflect more on the cry of the children and moral dignity.
Disarming Hatred, Becoming Channels of Peace
Pope Leo XIV says, ” invites us to become witnesses of hope, peace, and love. Peace begins when hatred ends within us. “When peace is not a reality that is lived, cultivated, and protected, then aggression spreads into domestic and public life,” he said
This commitment begins in our homes and extends to our schools, parishes, and institutions. It calls on the international community to respect human dignity and Children because the fate of children determines the fate of humanity. If we fail them, we risk our future.
The Cry of Children and the Moral Duty of Humanity
Looking at this from a youth perspective, many societies today lack peace because their children have never experienced it or enough of it. The suffering of children in conflict zones weighs on humanity’s conscience. Schools are destroyed, children are on the streets, hospitals are burning burning, and innocent children who can never chose war become its victims.
The gift of peace is one we must all share. His Excellency António Guterres, Secretary-General António Guterres, Secretary-General of the United Nations, has always called for the protection of children and the restoration of humanity’s moral duty. His appeal aligns with the desire of many societies and the universal moral law that stipulate clearly that children must be protected. The Child affirms unequivocally: Every child has an inherent right to life (Art. 6), Every child must be protected from violence (Art. 19), Every child must be shielded during armed conflict (Art. 38) and Every wounded child has a right to healing and recovery (Art. 39).
Yet these articles are not only violated; they are often ignored entirely when we do not work towards peace. When the youngest among us are denied the basic right to life, it reflects poorly on humanity. If children lose their peace, humanity also loses its future. What then does all this say to us as we start the journey of Lent?
Mother Church puts children at the centre of its life and future. Pope Leo XIV recently reiterated the need to respect rights of children, protect them from danger renewing the Church’s call to place children at the heart of global concern, warning that despite international commitments, the situation of the world’s youngest remains deeply troubling. During the audience in the Vatican, the Pope expressed concern for the reality facing children and young people today, describing it as a tragedy “that the children and youth of our world, the ones Jesus wanted to come to him, are so often deprived of care and access to the basic necessities of life.” all these realities must challenge the realities of society today and as we journey into this Holy Season of Lent may it be an opportunity for us to pause and reflect on our role in building bridges of peace and welcoming christ in our lives not only by fasting but also changing our way of life in ways that care and transform others’ lives for better. Just like nature selflessly gives itself for our well being. From the animals we eat they give their life for our satisfaction, Jesus himself exemplified this, giving his life for our salvation. lets us reflect on the story of the sun and the child.
The Sun and the Child, A Sacred Bond
The sun rises for all, warming every person equally regardless of nationality, ethnicity, religion, or status. It gives life freely. It is tragic when human ambition destroys what the sun gives freely. No condition should block a child’s sunlight; we should say no to bombs that silence children’s laughter and to events like natural calamities, family conflicts that outweigh the value of a child’s life and human dignity. During this holy season of lent, we join together in prayer that no child may lose the sun that belongs to them by nature, that peace may prevail in our homes, communities and Countries, that parents may not perish on battlefields, in droughts and in mines, that people don’t go hungry.
A Franciscan Path of Peace
This year we also celebrate the year of grace for the 800th jubilee of Francis of Assisi, we recall his prayer: “Lord, make me an instrument of your peace”. His life shows that peace is active; it rebuilds, restores dignity, and reconciles enemies.
Lent is an awakening that invites us to reflect on events in our common home. It challenges us to move from heartbreak to action, from concern to commitment, and from prayer to prophetic witness. May this first week of Lent renew in us the courage and faith to: Condemn unequivocally all attacks harming children, voluntarily sensitize our families and communities to stop violations of human dignity, advocate for justice rooted in Christ’s peace in our homes and communities, and become channels of peace in a wounded world.
The peace of Christ is not abstract; it is a living gift meant for every human heart. Wherever we are, we need peace, and Lent gives us a chance to pause and reflect on this reality. Walk with us this Lenten Period (Ash Wednesday Reflection on
