War in Ukraine: What can we do?
3 paths to peace amidst suffering

Julian Paparella

Saturday, February 25, 2023

Large Group of People Holding Banner Supporting Ukraine. Photo by Mathias Reding on Pexels.

Yesterday marked one year after the outbreak of war in Ukraine. We can ask ourselves: what can we do? We are not political leaders who can hold summits or peace talks. We aren’t soldiers on either side of the battlefield. We may feel distant or helpless before the tragic events that have unfolded these past 12 months. Or worse yet, we may even feel indifferent.

Yet we cannot remain unmoved in the face of the immense suffering of our brothers and sisters in humanity. This is true not only in Ukraine but all around the world. Living conditions that we wouldn’t even imagine are the daily lot of countless people around the globe. Imagine surviving the frigid winter without electricity and heating for days. Imagine your loved ones, neighbours, and friends being conscripted into a war you never asked for. Imagine wondering when your country will ever get out of this war and what life will be like afterwards, picking up the pieces amidst the rubble and desolation.

As Christians and as fellow human beings, let us do our part. There are no simple solutions but that doesn’t mean that we have no role to play.

Offer material support

Even though we may be thousands of kilometres away from Ukraine, there are people and agencies working tirelessly on the ground to provide humanitarian relief and support to the millions of people in a critical state. What can you do to support their efforts? Check out the website of an international charity or humanitarian organization whose work you appreciate. Chances are that they are doing something to help the people in Ukraine. When we have difficulty opening our wallets, let us think of how we would want people on the other side of the world to be generous if we ourselves were facing a time of dire crisis and they could do something to help. The dollars we donate are not mere numbers but concrete help for men, women, and children with names and faces.

Intercede

Allow your heart to be opened and moved by the sufferings of humanity. Not to be invaded with despair, but to have an active empathy for what our fellow human beings go through, and offer a humble helping hand. A vital way of helping that we may not often consider is interceding for them. Praying for peace. Praying for those who have lost their lives. Spiritually uniting ourselves with their suffering. Let us take the time to read the real stories of those who are suffering and to identify with them.

Pope Francis has often spoken about how we can touch the wounds of Jesus in the sufferings of our brothers and sisters, because Jesus is there suffering in them. Let us lift up those who suffer to the Father of Mercies, asking Him to send the Holy Spirit to change hearts, to bring healing and redemption, and to open up the paths of justice and peace towards His kingdom. By interceding for our brothers and sisters in humanity, we take the approach of Mary, our Mother, who intercedes constantly for us in the face of all the atrocities and miseries that the human family experiences on a day-to-day basis.

Sow justice and peace around you

As Mother Teresa said, “Charity starts at home.” Today’s conflicts most often arise from the wounds of yesterday. What can we do to work for justice and peace in our families, our workplace, and our local community? In the face of the little “wars,” arguments, or conflicts of daily life, let us dare to forgive and to seek peace, even when holding grudges or letting things fester may seem easier or more satisfying. Imagine if you were in a situation of war, what would be truly important to you? What would be most meaningful in life? How would you treat those you love, and even those that you have difficulty getting along with?

Before the scourge of war, let us come together on the path to peace, which passes through material support, intercession, and our daily efforts at home.

Jesus, Prince of Peace, send forth Your Holy Spirit to heal the wounds of humanity, to open our hearts to our brothers and sisters, and to lead us forward to the Kingdom of your Father. Amen.