Peace and Glad Tidings

STEWARDS OF OUR EARTH

All of God’s Creation

Social Justice Committee, Holy Cross Parish, Mt. Airy, January 4, 2026

“In his Message for the 2026 World Day of Peace, Pope Leo XIV addresses the escalation of war, rearmament and fear in international relations, and reiterates the Church’s opposition to deterrence based on military force. He calls for disarmament, dialogue and the conversion of hearts as necessary conditions for a lasting and unarmed peace…. 

Pope Leo warns that when societies lose sight of peace as a lived reality, they accept narratives in which war appears inevitable, even necessary…. When peace is not a reality that is lived, cultivated and protected, then aggression spreads into domestic and public life…. He highlights that peace is not a utopia but a choice - personal, communal and political. Quoting Pope Francis, he warns against narratives that present violence as inevitable, noting that such narratives are tools of domination.” (Linda Bordoni, Vatican News, 12/18/25)

When peace is our framework, we can achieve victories for people and the earth. At the beginning of a new year, let us celebrate some of the good news and vow to continue praying and acting for a world that prospers for all. Here are a few pieces of glad tidings – “signs of hope that things can change for the better, little by little” (The Little Blue Book, Advent and Christmas 2025-2026).

In 2025, the Sierra Club won some major victories to protect our future. They stopped millions of acres of public land from being sold off in the recent budget bill. They safeguarded endangered species and wildlife like gray wolves, Colorado bison, and Rice's whales. They secured energy affordability in Utah, Colorado, and California amid skyrocketing utility prices. They helped ensure that coal stays where it belongs -- in the ground -- in New England and Ohio. They fought the illegal firings of park and forest service staff. This grassroots power organization, made up of individuals like you and me, continues to persevere despite the challenges. (Loren Blackford, Executive Director Sierra Club, 12/18/25)

Earthjustice used its litigation resources, thanks to contributions from supporters, to help us keep fighting for a more just, sustainable world. For nearly a decade, residents of St. John the Baptist Parish, Louisiana, have fought tirelessly for the right to breathe clean air. Now, they’ve won a long overdue reprieve. On May 13, 2025, a highly toxic facility owned by a multinational chemical manufacturer, announced it suspended production at its St. John facility due to mounting financial losses, and it does not intend to restart operations for an indefinite period. (Earthjustice, 12/7/25)

The National Resources Defense Council (NRDC) has leveraged its unmatched combination of expertise in law, science, advocacy, and community partnerships to defend critical environmental progress and advance solutions wherever possible. “It built a case to rebut the unlawful repeal of the EPA's landmark 2009 endangerment finding, which established that greenhouse gas pollution harms human health and acts as the foundation for most of EPA’s regulation of climate pollution.” 

Come, Lord Jesus! You appointed your Church to be a sacrament of unity in a divided world. Gather us in peace and love from all the camps into which we have separated ourselves. (Magnificat, 12/19/25) Help us to care for our earth and all its inhabitants.

Comments on this column may be directed to the Social Justice Committee at socialjustice@holycrossphl.org. Click here for column archive.