Peace

April 22, 2008
Tuesday of the Fifth Week of Easter

They strengthened the spirits of the disciples and exhorted them to persevere in the faith, saying, “It is necessary for us to undergo many hardships to enter the kingdom of God.” Acts 14:22

Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give it to you. Do not let your hearts be troubled or afraid. John 14: 27

Piety
Prayer of Saint Francis of Assisi
Lord, make me an instrument of your peace.Where there is hatred, let me sow love;where there is injury, pardon;where there is doubt, faith;where there is despair, hope;where there is darkness, light;and where there is sadness, joy.O Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seekto be consoled as to console;to be understood as to understand;to be loved as to love.For it is in giving that we receive;it is in pardoning that we are pardoned;and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life. Amen

Study
http://www.usccb.org/nab/readings/042208.shtml
“Peace.” It is among the last words that Jesus spoke to the disciples before his Passion. It also is the first word Jesus spoke after his Resurrection when he appeared in the Upper Room. As a greeting or salutation, “peace” has as many meanings in today’s world as it had in ancient Palestine.

Jesus was offering the disciples the greeting “Shalom.” “May you be well” or “May you be whole.”

Shalom is both a greeting of “hello” and a closing “good-bye.” In addition to wishes for the well-being of the person, Jesus is doing his best to prepare his closest friends for what is about to happen. Yet he knows that nothing that he says will make them understand until they have a chance to reflect back upon all that has occurred.

According to David Silver, the meaning of the Hebrew word SHALOM is understood around the world to mean peace. However, peace is only one small part of the meaning of the word SHALOM. In Israel, even though there does not seem to be much going on at times in the way of peace, people use the word SHALOM on a daily basis. They use it to greet people and to bid farewell to people. However, SHALOM means much more than peace, hello or goodbye.
The etymology dictionary tells us that it means completeness, soundness, welfare. It comes from stem of shalam “was intact, was complete, was in good health.” Taking that further, a word study in the New King James version for SHALOM says: completeness, wholeness, health, peace, welfare, safety soundness, tranquility, prosperity, perfect-ness, fullness, rest, harmony, and absence of agitation or discord.

Sar SHALOM (Prince of Peace) is one of the descriptive names the Bible uses to indicate the ministry and personality of the Messiah as in Isaiah 9:6 which states, “The Son of God is completely perfect in all things.”

So when Jesus exhorts us to be perfect as the Father is perfect, the full meaning of peace and well-being (shalom) also is incorporated in the instruction. Something that is whole is not “incomplete” in mind, body or spirit. All of the parts are working together. Sometimes when we are healthy physically, we are bothered by something emotionally. Or sometimes when we are dry spiritually, we can still feel happy or healthy.

Jesus wishes his followers to have this sense of completeness, well-being and harmony. Even if he can not be with us, he wants us to be washed by the Holy Spirit to attain this state of tranquility.

Action

The simple prayer of St. Francis of Assisi provides for us a mold in which to cast our own life's conduct and character. It provides a blueprint upon which to pattern our living and our thoughts, speech and actions within our day-to-day relationships with our sisters and brothers and with all life around us. Therefore, the prayer of St. Francis is a precious document for us, an indispensable, invaluable frame of reference by which to judge our own lives, and referring to which we can do the necessary to bring about the needed alterations and modifications for the “completeness” and well-being and purification of our own daily life.

All of us need a little more peace and wholeness in our lives. Make a point of wishing people “Peace” or “Shalom” today.

Pointers for Prayer: Sometimes Christians are called to turn the world upside down. To bring the exact opposite of what we find in our world. St. Francis’ prayer is a bold one, asking for strength to give of ourselves to meet the needs of others. He recognizes that it “is in giving that we receive”, that as we give of ourselves, we receive the peace and blessing of our risen Lord Jesus. We cannot earn eternal life, but that we are pardoned from the sins that block our claim on it.
Think about the situations that you are involved in that require peace, consolation, hope, light and joy. Then, if you're bold enough, pray the prayer! (From the Prayer Guide)