By Susan Ciancio
The war in Iran and the recent remarks by President Trump about Pope Leo afford us the perfect opportunity to talk to our kids about peace and respectful dialog, even when a person disagrees with you.
After a Truth Social post where Trump spoke harshly about the leader of the Catholic Church, Pope Leo responded, “We want to promote peace, reconciliation, and respect and consideration for all peoples,”
This ongoing feud, as it has been called, is also a great opportunity to talk with our kids about St. Francis of Assisi and the Peace Prayer written about how we should treat others. Through its words, we learn the importance of taking small but positive actions in our own lives to make the world better. This means that we don’t post passive-aggressive memes on social media, and we don’t rant and shout. We don’t call names. We don’t lie about others. Always, in our actions with others, we must be loving and kind, yet firm in our faith. As my father always said, you get more flies with honey than with vinegar. If we want to promote peace, we must sow peace through our actions.
That doesn’t mean we are a doormat or let people harm us. That doesn’t mean we compromise our beliefs. We remain strong in our convictions, always explaining what we believe and why. We act exactly as the Peace Prayer suggests.
Peace Prayer
The first appearance of this prayer was in a French spiritual publication. Though it was published anonymously, many think it was written by the magazine’s editor. Regardless of its authorship, this prayer exemplifies Francis’ teachings and reflects his simplicity and his love for God and his fellow man. It goes like this:
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, joy.
O Divine Master grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled
As to console;
To be understood, as to understand;
To be loved, as to love.
For it is in giving that we receive,
It is in pardoning that we are pardoned,
And it is in dying that we are born to eternal life. Amen.
Imagine what the world would be like if we all acted like instruments of God’s peace.
Our world desperately needs peace today. Not only that, but it needs courageous people who will speak up for others, who will follow God’s laws, and who will see the beauty inherent in all people.
At the Culture of Life Studies Program, we understand this. Not only do we understand this, but we teach this. All of our lesson booklets are geared toward helping kids in preK-12 become instruments of God’s peace and promoting the peace of Christ. Further, many of our booklets help your children live out the teachings of this prayer.
We have gone through the lines of this prayer and carefully chosen lesson booklets that align with them. So you can see that, not only is this a beautiful prayer to learn, but it’s a beautiful prayer to live.
Lord make me an instrument of your peace, where there is hatred, let me sow love
Our lesson Caring for the Least of These shows K-2 students that every person has a duty to care for the weakest and most vulnerable people around us and that we must stand up for others.
Older kids can learn this lesson with When Heroes Become Saints: Saint Damien de Veuster of Molokai. This lesson tells the story of St. Damien de Veuster of Molokai, a heroic priest who volunteered to serve the lepers on the desolate peninsula of Molokai in Hawaii. St. Damien showed his flock that even though they suffered from a debilitating disease they deserved to be treated with dignity and respect and honored as adopted sons and daughters of God.
The Golden Rule and Love for Those Who Hurt Us introduces 5th and 6th grade students to the part of Jesus’ teaching from the Sermon on the Mount known as the Golden Rule. We do unto others as we would have done to us. When children learn empathy, when they see others through God’s eyes, and when they come to understand that all people have value, they begin to live these truths. They then go out into the world and follow this Golden Rule: They do unto others as they would have done to them. They treat others with dignity and respect. They protect the vulnerable. They live their faith proudly.
Where there is injury, pardon
Kids can learn forgiveness with our lesson about St. Maximilian Kolbe, the heroic priest who gave his life for another man in Auschwitz. Through this lesson, students will see Maximilian’s love and compassion for his fellow man along with his willingness to forgive—and even evangelize to—his captors.
Where there is doubt, faith
Serving the Poorest of the Poor: St. Teresa of Calcutta teaches about this wonderful saint who often doubted herself and God’s love for her, but who remained steadfast in both her work and her teaching. Students learn how to use her example to live out the Corporal Works of Mercy.
Where there is despair, hope
Facing a terminal illness, a young woman named Chiara Luce Badano could have fallen into despair. Instead, she taught her family and friends that there is joy in suffering and that we must all trust in God. With this lesson, middle and high schoolers learn to use her example and apply it to those advocating for assisted suicide or mercy killing.
Where there is darkness, light
Like many pro-lifers, Nellie Gray was both sickened and saddened when the Supreme Court decriminalized abortion in 1973. The next year, she and her friends decided they had to do something, so they began the March for Life. In The Power of One: Nellie Gray and the March for Life, high school students read about Nellie Gray and learn concrete ways to speak out and stop abortion. They also learn to be that light in an increasingly dark world.
Where there is sadness, joy
Do Small Things with Great Love: Saint Teresa of Calcutta teaches children in pre-K-2 about this amazing saint who literally picked sick and poor people up out of the gutter and took care of them. St. Teresa saw these people treated with disgust and disdain, yet she offered them love and happiness, even if it was just for the last few minutes of their lives.
O Divine Master grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console
Without Mercy: An Introduction to Euthanasia, Assisted Suicide, and Other Threats to the Medically Vulnerable examines the complex topics of euthanasia and assisted suicide and teaches students the reality behind what the culture of death advocates regarding end-of-life issues. This four-class supplement provides students with a basic understanding of the Catholic Church’s teachings on euthanasia and gives students the tools they need to not only defend those teachings but to teach compassion.
To be understood, as to understand
All Shapes and Sizes: Learning about the Beauty and Dignity of People with Disabilities and Other Challenges teaches empathy and helps students understand that the value of every human being exists because we are all made in the image and likeness of God. Our value does not depend on our appearance, ability, or background. This lesson shows children the beauty of the human person from creation until death by exploring Down syndrome, autism, the beauty of the elderly, and the fact that it’s okay to be different.
To be loved, as to love
Life Is Precious illustrates the basic facts of human development and teaches kids to care for others. Pre-k-2 students learn about taking care of a new baby—both before and after birth—that each of us is unique, the importance of standing up for what you believe in, and defending those who cannot defend themselves.
St. Ignatius: Loving and Caring for the Whole Person teaches care for the whole person. When children learn to truly care for the whole person, they will take action within their homes and communities. Because they care for the souls of those around them, their actions will reflect that love, and they will strive to not only protect the vulnerable in all situations but will work to help them attain heaven. They then become the next generation who advocates for the preborn, cares for the elderly and sick, and exhibits the moral courage necessary to stand up for the marginalized.
For it is in giving that we receive
In Giving with a Happy Heart: Teaching the Culture of Life in Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol,” students examine Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol under a pro-life lens to find themes that support the culture of life and reinforce the principle that all human beings are sacred, unrepeatable, and deserving of respect. Students learn what it takes to reach out to the “Scrooges” in daily life and come to understand how they need to treat each person with dignity, regardless of how they are treated in return.
Young Carlo Acutis understood this, and in our booklet entitled St. Carlo Acutis: Extraordinary in the Ordinary, your children can learn about how to care for others, about Eucharistic miracles, and about how one young man made a profound impact on not only his community but on the world.
It is in pardoning that we are pardoned
In this 8-page free movie discussion guide, we give a brief overview of the movie Unplanned, a Life Theme, 14 discussion questions (and answers!), suggestions for a small group/discussion project, optional essay questions, and activities for further research. After watching this movie, you can help your teen truly come to an understanding of the movie, to the reality of abortion, and to the fact that God can forgive anyone who asks for forgiveness.
And it is in dying that we are born to eternal life
In Dream of the Rood, a lesson on the medieval poem of the same name, high school students learn about the death of Christ from the perspective of the cross. This lesson reinforces the teaching that Christ came so that we could have eternal life with Him, and it teaches students the redemptive value of suffering, as they learn to unite their suffering to His on the cross.
St. Francis inspired countless people in his lifetime and has continued to do so over the past 800 years. Let him also inspire you. Allow his teachings and the words of this prayer to permeate your thoughts, to change your actions, and to build a culture of life in your homes and communities. When we do so, we will all be that instrument of peace.