Greetings Mt. Vernon Family,

On this second Sunday of Advent, we light the candle of peace. The world is in desperate need of peace. The evening news is filled with stories of school shootings, road rage, government corruption and racial injustice. Some may wonder if peace is possible. We need inner peace and peace with others. Inner peace begins when we are reconciled to God through Jesus Christ, when we are saved, justified, born again. Our inner peace grows as we focus on God and trust Him. For Isaiah 26:3 says, “You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You.” We can choose inner peace by prioritizing God first and placing our trust in Him. Our inner peace should overflow to others. God wants us to have peace in our relationships. In fact, we are called to be peacemakers, Matthew 5:9. Is there a strained or broken relationship that God is calling on you to be the peacemaker? The inner peace we have is what God has given us. Let us be faithful and pass His peace to others.

This week let us meditate and pray the prayer of St. Francis of Assisi:

Lord, make me an instrument of your peace. Where there is hatred, let me sow love. Where there is injury, pardon. Where there is doubt, faith. Where there is despair, hope. Where there is darkness, light. And where there is sadness, only joy.

Amen!

Pastor Deborah Giles