![]() In short, the peace that comes with accepting God’s Will. What is “salute it?” It is the greeting “Shalom, Peace be with you.” The peace that is not only calm and contentment, but wholeness, well-being, fitting-in. And if the house be worthy, let your peace come upon it: but if it be not worthy, let your peace return to you (Matthew 10:12-13). When we recall Jesus sending the disciples out, He tells themĪnd when ye come into an house, salute it. Augustine of Hippo in the 4th century), there are also layers of meaning. “SHALOM” AND CATHOLIC TEACHINGĪfter the Lord’s Prayer in Mass, the Salutation “Peace be with you” is given by the priest and shared by the congregation. And this last is where the connection between the Catholic faith and “shalom” lies. The 12 Steps, particularly Steps 4 through 9, help us to look at ourselves through the telescope of recovery, given by the grace of a loving and forgiving God. When we, as addicts or alcoholics, look at ourselves, we see someone who is deficient, who has committed wrongs to others and to him-/herself and is not at peace with who he/she is. I’ll list some of these below:Īlthough there are more, these will, I hope, paint a picture. Amongst the titles are several that suggest why “peace,” “well-being,” and “wholeness” are goals of the 12 Steps. has given 52 articles, drawn from his homilies. In his fine book, “By the Grace of God,” Rev Francis Canavan, S.J. Rather, some examples will, I hope, make my point. Since the space for this article is limited, I won’t give a detailed explanation of where “shalom” fits the program. SHALOM AND THE 12 STEPSįor those who are not familiar with the 12 Steps, please go here or here for a short account. Now, where does this connect with Catholic teaching and the 12 Steps? Although the connection with Catholic teaching (“shalom” as “peace”) should be obvious, that with the 12 Steps is not. are all connotations of the Hebrew “shalom.” “Welfare,” “well-being,” “good health,” etc. (See here for a complete account.) As the linked article notes, the root word of “shalom” is “shalam”, which means “to make whole,” or “to restore.” Shalom carries this connotation of wholeness or well-being, as shown in Joseph’s greetings to his brothers when they came before him in Egypt:Īnd he asked them of their welfare, and said, “Is your father well, the old man of whom ye spake? Is he yet alive?” And they answered, “Thy servant our father is in good health, he is yet alive (Gen 43:27-28). The English translation of “shalom” is “peace.” But there is an additional layer of meaning to “shalom” in Hebrew. I pointed out that “Shalom” is the standard Jewish greeting that Jesus would use to greet his disciples. Let’s delve into the etymology of “peace.” And let’s examine the connection between peace, the 12 Steps, and Catholic teaching. ‘ peace be unto you.’ Such peace is the goal of the 12 Steps, Our Catholic faith is the means whereby we achieve this peace. In the sharing after the reading, a member commented on Jesus’s greeting: ![]() INTRODUCTIONĪt a recent Calix Society zoom meeting, the Lectio Divina reading was the Sunday gospel. ![]() Then the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled for fear of the Jews, came Jesus and stood in the midst, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you (John 20:19 ). ![]()
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