Pax Christi Advent Service: celebrating peacemaking and peacemakers

Sr Katrina Alton CSIJ reading

Pax Christi England and Wales held its annual Advent Service at the Holy Apostles, Pimlico, London, on Saturday. As well as those in the church, participants joined online from around the world - including friends in Bethlehem. Ann Farr, Chair of Pax Christi England and Wales, welcomed them all. One said afterwards: "It was lovely to link up on-line with Pax Christi's inspirational Advent Service, loved it, thank you. It was so gentle and reflective as one so needs in the light of all that is happening in our world. May God bless all that fosters Peace."

Community musicians Catherine Pestano and Angela Reith on keyboard led the music. Sarah Metcalf of Westminster Deaf Service provided the signing. Former CEOs of Pax Christi, Valerie Flessati and Pat Gaffney, had decorated the altar and placed candles.

Reflections and prayers focused particularly on 'A Time of Watchful Waiting,' 'Women Peacemakers,' 'Seeking Asylum' - which acknowledged that hundreds of thousands have fled their homes globally this year because of conflict - and 'Palestine and Israel'. This section saw Micah 4 read out: 'Nation will not take up sword against nation, nor will they train for war anymore,' followed by singing 'A Bethlehem Lament'. Written by Angela Reith, the song questions the familiar narrative in the carol, 'O Little Town of Bethlehem,' noting that it is a West Bank town that has known bombing and conflict in recent times. It ends: 'What happened to the dream of peace on earth?'

While Taize chants were sung, the congregation filed up to light candles on the altar rail.

Then under the section of the service 'Peacemaking in our world today' one reading was from Pope Francis on the Feast of All Saints 1 November 2022:

"Let us take, for example, a very topical beatitude: 'Blessed are the peacemakers', and we see how Jesus' peace is very different from what we imagine. We all long for peace, but often what we want is not really peace, it is to be at peace, to be left in peace, to have no problems but rather tranquillity. Jesus, instead, does not call the calm blessed, those who are in peace, but those who make peace and strive to make peace, the builders, the peacemakers. Indeed, peace must be built, and like any construction, it requires effort, collaboration, patience. We would like peace to rain down from above, but instead the Bible speaks of a "sowing of peace" (Zc 8:12), because it germinates from the soil of life, from the seed of our heart. It grows in silence, day after day, through works of justice and mercy, as the luminous witnesses we are celebrating today show us. Again, we are led to believe that peace comes by force and power: for Jesus it is the opposite. His life and that of the saints tell us that, in order to grow and bear fruit, the seed of peace must first die. Peace is not achieved by conquering or defeating someone, it is never violent, it is never armed."

Bernadette Farrell's 'Peace Child' was one of the final hymns with its lines: '… in the sleep of the night, in the dark before light, you come, you come in the silence of stars, in the violence of wars; Saviour your name.'

And the Pax Christi Prayer was recited at the end:

Blessed are you peacemakers, who say no to war as a means of peace.

Blessed are you peacemakers, who offer hope and healing.

Blessed are you peacemakers, who care and comfort.

Blessed are you peacemakers, who help find answers.

Blessed are you peacemakers who see the good in others.

Blessed are you peacemakers, who never give up.

Blessed are you peacemakers, who give and give and give.

At the end of the service, the congregation processed out of the church down to the Christmas Market and social in the parish hall singing 'Soon and Very Soon'. Nibbling on mince pies, they perused stalls offering Fair Trade goods, gifts from the Holy Land, 2024 calendars and other items from Columban missionaries, Jesuit Refugee Service, CAFOD, Archbishop Romero Trust and others.

Many people wrote messages to send to Pax Christi partners in Palestine and Israel. Pax Christi's 'Anthology for Advent and Christmas' was available and copies of 'A British Christian response to the Kairos Palestine document'.

Pax Christi has marked Advent since 1992 by organising an Advent Peace Service. The liturgy is chosen to speak to people who want peace and who are peacemakers. It is a valued opportunity to pray and sing about watchful waiting in hope as well as highlighting actions for peace and nonviolence.

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