Peace

“not JUST the absence of war”

CCC 2304-2305

Shalom

•Health -wholeness of life or body

•Prosperity, Success, Fulfillment (Lev 26:3-9)

•Harmony between two parties or people, often established by a covenant (Num 25:12-13; Isa 54:10; Ezek 34:25-26) 

Eirene• In the New Testament, the Greek

word eirene is the word most often translated by the word "peace."

• Although there is some overlap in their meanings, the Hebrew word shalom (lvh) is broader in its usage, and, in fact, has greatly influenced the New Testament's use of eirene.

Peace

..an essential characteristic

of God“the Lord is peace” (Jdg 6:24).

Community

Fraternal

Personal

Christ

 

Finding Personal Peace

• “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you” (Jn 14:27).

Peace Discord

Finding Personal Peace• We cannot make it ourselves or find it in any of the

material things of the world.• It’s a Gift from God (Jn 14:27)• It’s a Fruit of the Spirit (Gal 5:22-23) • So the ‘seeds’ of Peace have been planted in us …we just

have to allow it to grow and bear fruit.• Fruits don’t just appear..they go through a process.• To bear the Fruit of Peace we need to be connected to the

Vine – the Source of Peace… Jesus, for without Him we can’t bear any Fruit (Jn 15:5)

Finding Personal PeacePope Francis in his Apostolic Exhortation “The Joy of the Gospel” writes (Ch 1,1,2): “I invite all Christians, everywhere, at this very moment, to a renewed personal encounter with Jesus Christ, or at least an openness to letting Him encounter them; I ask you to do this unfailingly each day… No one should think that this invitation is not meant for him or her, since no one is excluded from the Joy {and Peace} brought by the Lord. The Lord does not disappoint those who take this risk; whenever we take a step towards Jesus we come to realize that He is already there”

Aaron’s Blessing

May the LORD bless you and keep you.May the LORD let his face shine on you and

be gracious to you.May the LORD show you his face and bring

you His peace."

Num 6:24-26

Finding Fraternal Peace

• Great peace have they who love (live by) your law (Ps 119:16)

Peace Discord

Pope Francis on Peace

• Fraternity is the Foundation and Pathway to Peace

• ………because we are all of one Father we are all bretheren (Mt 23:8)

Be subject to one another out of reverence for Christ.(Eph 5:21-6:4)

Peace in Marriage & Families

Wives…..  should be subject to their

husbands as to the Lord, since, as Christ is head of the Church and saves the whole body, so is a husband the head of his wife; and as the Church is subject to Christ, so should wives be to their husbands, in everything. (Eph 5:21-24)

Husbands….

25…should love their wives just as Christ loved the Church and sacrificed himself for her…….

28. In the same way, husbands must love their wives as they love their own bodies; for a man to love his wife is for him to love himself.. ………. 31.This is why a man leaves his father and mother and becomes attached to his wife, and the two become one flesh.

Marriage32. This mystery

has great significance, but I am applying it to Christ and the Church.

33. To sum up: you also, each one of you, must love his wife as he loves himself; and let every wife respect her husband.

Parents and children6:1 Children, be obedient to your parents in the

Lord-- that is what uprightness demands. 2 The first commandment that has a promise attached to it is: Honour your father and your mother, 3 and the promise is: so that you may have long life and prosper in the land.

Parents and children

 And parents, never drive your children  to resentment but bring them up with correction and advice inspired by the Lord.

Restoring Peace

St. Francis’ Prayer -

Make Me an Instrument/Channel of Your Peace….

Calls on us to our part in promoting and encouraging peace…one such way is to apologise when needed.

How to apologise

.....yeah..... it still works....

1. Determine what went wrong

Did you say something insensitive?

You can't apologize effectively if you don't know what you've done wrong.

Did you fail to come through on a promise?

Was the offence recent or long ago?

2. Take full responsibility.

Own the mistake as wholly your own, without sharing the blame with anyone else, and without presenting mitigating circumstances, and AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.

3. Choose the right time to apologize

 The sooner you apologize for your mistake, the more likely it will be viewed as an error in judgment and not a character flaw. The longer you wait to apologize, the more difficult it may be to ever mend the relationship.

4. Write your apology down (optional).

It's best to apologize in person but If you're having a hard time mustering the words for an apology, consider writing your feelings down.

Take your time and sort out exactly why you feel compelled to apologize, and what you'll do to ensure the mistake won't happen again.

5. Start off with what went wrong Begin the apology by specifying your Offences

and the Feelings your actions may have caused.

Avoid using the words "but" or "if". They can derail the apology.

6. Say “I am Sorry ...”Use direct, declarative statements.

• "Dear, I'm sorry I forgot your birthday - there's no excuse. I hope you don't feel neglected. Please, let me set this right.“

Just saying "please forgive me" does not qualify as a true apology. .

7. Make amends

Find the underlying problem, describe it to the person (as an explanation, not an excuse), and tell them what you intend to do to rectify that problem so that you can avoid this mistake in the future.

“In future I will .......

8. Express gratitude • Express your appreciation for the role that

they play in your life, emphasizing that you do not want to jeopardize or damage the relationship.

• Briefly recount what has created and sustained the bond over time and tell loved ones that they are indeed loved.

9. Then.....Request Forgiveness

Make a clear request for forgiveness and wait for their answer.

“please forgive me”

10. Be PatientIf an apology is not accepted,

• thank them for hearing you out and • leave the door open for if they wish to

reconcile later. (E.g. "I understand you're still upset about it, but thanks for giving me the chance to apologize. If you ever change your mind, please give me a call.") Sometimes people want to forgive you, but they still need a little time to cool off. 

Sometimes people want to forgive you, but they still need a little time to cool off. 

11. Stick to your Word....

•  A true apology entails a resolution.• you have to carry out your promise in order

for the apology to be sincere and complete. • Otherwise, your apologies will lose their

meaning, and trust may disappear beyond the point of no return

Serenity Prayer

God grant me

SERENITY To accept the things I cannot change

COURAGETo change the things I can and

WISDOM To know the difference