This past Sunday, the Archdiocese of Washington had a Mass for Peace in the Middle East – here is the text of Archbishop Wuerl’s homily.

Let us renew our resolve — every member of this community — to do our part no matter how small it may seem or how insignificant it might appear to build a civilization of love so that we are never overwhelmed by a culture of violence, a culture of death. Can this be done?

Yes, we can win in the struggle to let God’s kingdom of truth, justice, understanding, compassion, kindness and love win out here and around the world. It begins with each one of us.

That is why the Pope asks us to come together in prayer. Our prayers can result in God’s grace, touching hearts. If we touch enough hearts, we can influence enough actions. If enough actions change, we can change the world in which we live.

Is what we are doing today truly significant? Is our prayer today going to make a difference? Can we be a part spiritually of the vast effort to lift up the need for dialogue? The need for reconciliation? The need for peaceful solutions to intractable problems?

Of course we can. That is why we are here to stand before God who will always stand with us and respond to our prayers.