Apostles for Today
February 2025
Serving the people to ensure security and peace Jubilee of The Armed, Police and Security Forces
My dear brothers and sisters of the Union of The Catholic Apostolate, the 2025 Jubilee year is upon us. It is a year dedicated to hope, as prescribed by Pope Francis. The Holy Father invites all Catholics to enrich their faith through the hope of a life united with Jesus Christ. To live a life united with Christ is challenging, however with hope, and an aim at the highest form of good, we can strive to be apostles in our daily lives, placing service above self. Service is the driving force behind the armed, police and security forces as announced for the month of February, during this Jubilee year. “Serving the people to ensure security and peace.” These are the words prescribed to those who wear a uniform, daily, to be stewards of service, security and peace in their countries, states and communities.
The men and women of the armed and police forces around the world are entrusted to put others before themselves. They fulfill their oaths to be leaders, protectors and fighters for those who cannot fight for themselves. While contemplating February’s theme a passage from the Gospel of John comes to mind, which reads: “No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends” (John 15:13). These sacred words of scripture give us an inclination into what it means to love. Love is a force for good in the world. I am reminded of what love is every time Fr. Peter raises the host and chalice during Mass at Our Lady of Grace Church, signifying the sacrifice of Christ for the forgiveness of sins.
I look above the altar and see the crucified Christ. Christ on the cross is the greatest depiction of what love is, the ultimate sacrifice.
The men and women who protect our respective countries and communities in uniform place themselves in harm’s way when responding to emergency calls for service ranging from domestic disputes to potential terror attacks. Our uniformed members of society respond to such calls, knowing that their lives may be lost trying to provide security and peace. The willingness to do this is an act of love towards those in need. Placing the well-being of a person in crisis over the well-being of oneself is an act of love as told to us in the Gospel of John. As a police officer in the United States of America I have found that physical force is not always necessary when trying to resolve an emergency. Often, the ability to listen to a person in despair who may be, for example, contemplating suicide, by showing compassion and empathy is enough to bring peace to a person’s heart at a moment of internal crisis.
Saint Vincent Pallotti embodied the theme for the month of February through his ministry in Rome. He tended to the sick, needy and less fortunate, laying the foundation for what would become the union we find ourselves a part of today. St. Vincent said: “God never sends you into a situation alone.
He stands beside you. He walks behind you. Whatever situation you have right now, face it with the confidence knowing…God is with you.” As a police officer, I find solace in the words of Saint Vincent, knowing that if my heart and mind are aligned towards God, I shall be guided by Him so that I may be a beacon of hope for someone in danger. St. Vincent also suggests that when those in uniform confront, danger their steps are guided by the Lord. Being fearful or nervous is a normal human characteristic that comes over us all when confronted with danger, no matter if one is a civilian or an officer. It is part of the human condition. It is a normal response from the body’s nervous system. However, St. Vincent reminds us that we can find strength and courage in God, that the Holy Spirit will guide officers and security forces who find themselves in precarious situations, trying to protect those in need during a time of crisis.
The men and women who protect our respective countries and communities in uniform place themselves in harm’s way when responding to emergency calls for service ranging from domestic disputes to potential terror attacks. Our uniformed members of society respond to such calls, knowing that their lives may be lost trying to provide security and peace. The willingness to do this is an act of love towards those in need. Placing the well-being of a person in crisis over the well-being of oneself is an act of love as told to us in the Gospel of John. As a police officer in the United States of America I have found that physical force is not always necessary when trying to resolve an emergency. Often, the ability to listen to a person in despair who may be, for example, contemplating suicide, by showing compassion and empathy is enough to bring peace to a person’s heart at a moment of internal crisis.
Saint Vincent Pallotti embodied the theme for the month of February through his ministry in Rome. He tended to the sick, needy and less fortunate, laying the foundation for what would become the union we find ourselves a part of today. St. Vincent said: “God never sends you into a situation alone".
He stands beside you. He walks behind you. Whatever situation you have right now, face it with the confidence knowing…God is with you.” As a police officer, I find solace in the words of Saint Vincent, knowing that if my heart and mind are aligned towards God, I shall be guided by Him so that I may be a beacon of hope for someone in danger. St. Vincent also suggests that when those in uniform confront, danger their steps are guided by the Lord. Being fearful or nervous is a normal human characteristic that comes over us all when confronted with danger, no matter if one is a civilian or an officer. It is part of the human condition. It is a normal response from the body’s nervous system. However, St. Vincent reminds us that we can find strength and courage in God, that the Holy Spirit will guide officers and security forces who find themselves in precarious situations, trying to protect those in need during a time of crisis.
In the United States, I can think of no greater emergency response by civil servants than the morning of September 11, 2001, in New York City. I was a student in high school at the time and recall watching the television in my classroom as the planes struck the twin towers. Brave police officers, firefighters and medical workers responded to the scene to assist all those trapped in the buildings. The display of bravery and courage I observed that day and the months to follow during the recovery efforts inspired me to serve my community as a firefighter and later as a police officer. The attacks on the United States in September of 2001 brought out the best in the men and women in uniform who take an oath to protect and serve their fellow citizens. Christ highlighted the importance of this service in Matthew 5:9 when he delivered his Sermon on the Mount, saying, “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.” The men and women who serve their fellow man by providing safety and security to people who find themselves in dim and bleak situations embody what Christ tried to teach us in the Beatitudes. Our men and women in uniform could be considered peacemakers when they serve and protect those who call out for help in desperate situations. A Jubilee year comes to us every twenty-five years, however, let us not wait for the arrival of a Jubilee year to be pilgrims of hope or servants to our fellow man. I like to ask myself, daily, how am I trying to be a peacemaker? Consider asking yourself, how am I building bridges within my family, my community, my school or my workplace? Being a peacemaker is not explicit to those of the armed services. Consider what it means to be an apostle.
An apostolic life is not one of confinement, but one of action, movement and service. Consider asking yourself how an apostolic life focused on service can enrich your personal life? Saint Vincent Pallotti explained what it means to live when he said: “Our life is: To breath God in and out. To find God in everything. To reveal God to all. To radiate the presence of God.” This is the essence of an apostolic life. Allow the Holy Spirit to fill your heart with hope so that you may find the courage and strength to face challenges and adversity in your life while helping others along the way.
May the peace of Almighty God be with you all this Jubilee year!
Tomislav Martic
* Tommy Martic is a Police supervisor. He was born in the former Yugoslavia and has lived in the United States since March 1988. He is a member of the Pallottine parish youth group “Our Lady of Grace.” Under the guidance of Fr. Peter Sticco, SAC, he was able to do missionary work in the United States and Latin America
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