Adobe Stock 665535612 By Syntetic Dreams

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October 8, 2026

NEVER LOSE HOPE
by Thomas P. Bonacci, C.P.

“If the only tool you have is a hammer,
then every problem looks like a nail.”

Vivian Silver

In every generation, there are people of vision who bring hope to the world. Vivian Silver was one such woman. She was murdered in the vicious terrorist attacks along the Israeli / Gaza border on October 7, 2023. First assumed kidnapped, her body was found a few days later in the rubble.

Vivian was a Canadian / Israeli citizen dedicated to the cause of Justice and peace. She called for the human and civil rights of all people. She witnessed to the cause of gender equality and defended people’s gender identity. 

Vivian lived and worked in a Kibbutz near the Israeli / Gaza border. She made friends with Gazans, the local Bedouins, all those willing to make peace in a land almost defined by violence and conflict.

When we think of peace, we think of St. Francis, Gandhi, Martin Luther King, and so many others. The voices of peace always remind us to hear the cry of the poor and the oppressed and learn from them.

Vivian is certainly a woman for our time whose courage and self-giving invite all people of good will to never lose hope.  The violence must stop. Vivian was murdered and as those who knew her say, “Her vision for peace will stand forever.” Her friends and family remind us that the violence Vivian suffered would not deter her from working for justice and the peace born from the pursuit of justice (the repair of the world). She would be more determined than ever in making friends out of strangers. 

Four important elements come to mind as we remember people like Vivian.

First, each and every one of us is a peacemaker. We frequently find ourselves in moments of conflict. In those moments, we must see other people as human beings, setting ourselves free from our biases and prejudices.

Second, as we commemorate events like 9/11, the Charleston Mother Emanuel tragedy, and the Pittsburgh Tree of Life Massacre, we honor those injured or murdered not by imitating violence but by living our lives as living memorials so that such atrocities never happen again. Keep hope alive.

Third, we must constantly examine our lives, beliefs, and practices so no one is ever dehumanized by ingrained prejudices or stereotypes. True worship of God results in our uncompromising love and care for one another.    

Finally, people like Vivian Silver challenge us to strive for excellence in everything we say, think, and do.

Blessings and gratitude to you, Beloved Community, as you continue to walk on the pathways of peace and never lose hope for a better world.