• Creativity in Cold Lentils
• Recovering Hope
• Truth Is A Two-Way Street
• Our chance to stand in solidarity
• Human Rights: a common meeting place?
• The Heart of God
• Dare to Dream
• Learning to Listen
• Finding meaning in the experience
• Towards An Understanding of Home
• Silence
• Peregrinasaun Haksolok Hamutuk
• Peace
• The Big Show
• Weakness and Strength
• United in Peace
• The Ring
• ACUSA
• People as seeds of hope and change
• Being Grateful
• In the midst of 250,000 people
• UN World Habitat Day
• Praying The Rosary
• I Want To Make A Difference
• How Fragile we are
• The Challenge of email
• Being Socially Responsible
• Thirsting for Knowledge
• The Lord is my Shepherd
• Archived Thoughts of the Week
• An Idea

The dropping of atomic bombs on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki on 6 August and 9 August 1945 is commemorated in many parts of the world. The anniversary is marked with vigils and peace marches.

There is no doubt that most people yearn for peace, desiring that devastation caused by war, conflict and terrorism will be “no more”. In his message for the celebration of World Day of Peace (1 January 2006) Pope Benedict XVI said:

“Peace is an irrepressible yearning present in the heart of each person, regardless of his or her particular cultural identity.”

The Prime Minister, Kevin Rudd, in his speech at the Opening Mass for World Youth Day, Sydney 2008 (15-20 July), welcomed pilgrims from 177 countries to a celebration of "life, faith and hope". "You are the light of the world at a time when the world has so much darkness," Mr Rudd told them.

"Too often when young people travel in great numbers to other parts of the world they do so in the cause of war. But you are here today as pilgrims of peace."

For those of us fortunate to be involved in the celebrations of World Youth Day in Sydney, we saw the young people of the world expressing faith, life, hope and peace.

May peace be with us all, especially those in world trouble spots and those troubled of heart, this Hiroshima Day.

• Joanne Rix,
• Mission Engagement,
• Ballarat