However, whether you are an activist or a more laid back person, the greatest contribution that you can make to peace in this world begins much closer to home — it begins with yourself. If you want to make the world a better place, become a saint. Start with the one person you most have a hope of changing — yourself. Any change in that direction will have a ripple effect across the pond of the human community.

The first step toward changing myself toward holiness is to admit that I am a sinner. Just as the first consideration in driving to a desired destination is to be aware of where we are when we start our trip, so also any journey of self-improvement starts with a personal self-assessment. “Where am I?”

As Jesus said so clearly on the Mount, “Blessed are those who know they are spiritually poor, the kingdom of God is theirs.” When we admit our sinfulness, rather than feeling shame, we find that the doors of the kingdom begin to swing open for us. God enters our lives, giving us the gift of his healing and forgiveness.

In our society, however, we are taught to hide our brokenness and to cover our faults. We have been conditioned to hide our failings and to always appear cool, calm and collected. Most people live with a shell of artificiality about them pretending to be what they are not. Appearances become everything.

This sadly results in a deep isolation from self, from others and from God. If we cannot share who we are then we are forever frustrated by trying to link up that veneer image of ourselves with that of others. So we live in a lonely cocoon unable to connect with those all about us, except in an empty and artificial way.

If we resolve then to face our sins honestly before God, we will have taken the most vital and radical decision of our lives, for we will have turned toward holiness, “wholeness.” We will have opened the door to God in our lives.

Once that portal is open and God’s peace begins to fill us the resulting joy we feel is obvious and contagious. When our hearts are at peace, others tend to be attracted to us.

Men and women who thereby find peace connect with others and are therefore much less lonely.

The greatest gift we can give to the human community is to make peace with our Maker.

In so doing we take a step toward sainthood and make our world a better place.

Father Donald Blickhan is a retired military chaplain and chaplain of the Illinois Veterans Home in Quincy.