If you want peace work for justice.

The words of Pope Paul VI—“If you want peace work for justice.”—resound with the weight of both prophecy and truth. They strip away illusions and pierce to the heart of human conflict. For peace is not the mere absence of war, nor is it the silence of the oppressed under the heel of the powerful. True peace is not a mask worn over injustice; it is the fruit of righteousness, fairness, and dignity given to all. Without justice, peace is but a fragile shell that shatters at the first blow of anger. But where justice is established, peace takes root like a mighty oak, enduring through storms.

To say “work for justice” is to remind us that peace does not fall from heaven unearned. It must be forged, like iron, through the labor of conscience and the struggle for fairness. It means lifting the poor from the dust, giving voice to the voiceless, and ensuring that no man is trampled by the greed of another. Peace is not a truce between powers, but a covenant among peoples. Only when justice reigns can peace endure, for then the human heart is satisfied, and the seeds of bitterness wither away.

The history of nations proves this beyond doubt. Consider the American Civil Rights Movement. For centuries, the descendants of slaves lived under oppression, denied dignity and equality. There was order, yes—but not peace. True peace came only when men and women, led by Martin Luther King Jr., labored for justice—marching, suffering, and demanding that the law recognize the dignity of all. It was not quiet submission that secured peace, but justice established in the courts and in the conscience of a nation. Here we see Pope Paul’s words given life: justice is the mother of peace.

Contrast this with the peace of tyrants, who silence dissent with fear. The Soviet Union once seemed orderly, but beneath its walls of control lay anger, discontent, and hunger for freedom. When justice was denied, the peace of fear could not last. The empire crumbled, because peace built on injustice is an illusion. This, too, is the wisdom of the Pope’s words: the peace that endures is born not from oppression, but from fairness.

The ancients themselves glimpsed this truth. The Hebrew prophets cried out, “Justice and peace shall kiss.” Aristotle taught that justice is the foundation of the polis, without which no city can stand. And the Roman stoics, though lovers of order, declared that law without justice is no law at all. Pope Paul VI stands in this line of eternal wisdom, teaching that the way to peace runs not through conquest, nor even mere tolerance, but through justice.

The lesson for us is clear: if you desire peace in your home, in your community, in your nation, then labor for justice. Do not ignore the cries of the weak, for their bitterness will one day rise in conflict. Do not trample the rights of others, for resentment breeds rebellion. Instead, build systems that are fair, show mercy to the vulnerable, and honor the dignity of all. In this soil, peace will flourish—not as a fragile flower, but as a mighty tree.

Practically, this means standing against corruption, refusing to profit from dishonesty, and working in your daily life to treat others with fairness. It means lifting up those who are oppressed, whether in small matters or great, and ensuring that justice is not a lofty idea but a living practice. It means remembering that every act of justice, however small, is a stone placed in the foundation of peace.

So let Pope Paul VI’s words echo as a command across the ages: “If you want peace work for justice.” Do not seek peace in silence or in fear, but in righteousness. Do not look for peace in the weakness of the oppressed, but in the fairness of the strong. For only when justice is established will peace endure, and only when men labor for both will the earth find harmony. This is the labor of every generation, and it is the labor that builds the kingdom of heaven on earth.