PEACE

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily for this 5th Tuesday after Easter  is, “Peace!”

I’m sure you’ve heard hundreds of sermons on peace and I’m sure I’ve given dozens of sermons on peace as well. Here’s one more.

COMING UP WITH A SERMON THEME

I begin working on a Sunday or a weekday homily the same way. I say a prayer and then ask myself, “What do I need to hear from today’s readings? What’s the main theme that jumps out at me?

“Peace!”

PEACE

I’m sure when we read the newspapers and watch the evening news, besides tornados, floods and other natural disasters, we pray for peace. Don't we all talk to ourselves and say, “Are we crazy? Why do we keep on with the violence, the fighting and the abuse on the family, the local, the state, the nation, and world wide levels?”

The two crazy behaviors that bug me are: 1) kids or women  being sent into a bus or a crowd with bombs strapped to them and then they self explode; 2) those who try to spread a computer virus that goes around the world – which inconveniences lots of people.
“Peace!”

I would assume these sick behaviors are the bad fruit of the evil streak we spot in others – and often miss in ourselves. It’s the so called “YETZER HARA” – Hebrew for the evil urge that lurks at our door.

The story of Cain and Abel is very significant in reflecting upon peace. Genesis 4: 1-16 has a very powerful scene – the story of Cain and Abel. Yahweh God sees Cain walking around with a sour face, so God asks him, “What’s with the face?” Okay that’s a free translation. The Jerusalem Bible puts it this way. “Yahweh asked Cain, ‘Why are you angry and downcast? If you are well disposed, ought you not to lift up your head? But if you are ill disposed, is not sin at the door like a crouching beast hungering for you, which you must master?”

Cain doesn’t listen. Instead he brings evil inside himself.

And once inside the “YETZER HARA” - THE EVIL INCLINATION - can do horrible things to self and others.

I would assume that evil urge – when personalized is the whispers of the snake, Satan, the devil, the ruler or prince of this world we hear about in today’s gospel. [Cf. John 14:30; John 13:2; John 12:31]

“Peace!” “Shalom!” It also lurks at our door and knocks. Invite it inside.

Isn’t that the significance of Jesus coming through the walls on Easter Sunday and instead of lurking out there, Jesus comes within us and says, “Shalom!” “Peace!”

In the scriptures, in Jewish and Christian circles, “Peace!” is an opening greeting to another when we meet them on the street or the road.

“Peace!”

If it’s more than just a superficial greeting like a “Hi” or “How are you to someone?” when our mind is somewhere else – then “Peace” – “Shalom” in Hebrew – “Irene” in Greek – is saying and hoping for many, many blessings for this other person.

“Shalom!” – the Hebrew Greeting is wishing that the one we’re greeting has everything going well with their family and their health, their farm or business. It’s wishing the other to be in a good place with God. It’s wishing that they are not in debt. It’s hoping they are not screaming inside their mind lots of angry words or resentments against another or others.

Saying “Shalom” or “Peace!” to another includes not just that the weather and the nation – prosperity and property are in a good shape – but one is right with neighbor and right with oneself. The prophets would state that we won’t have real peace if we’re living a lie with self or with neighbors (Cf. Jeremiah 6:14, 8:11) Ezekiel talks about not whitewashing a crumbling wall. Fix up the walls first and then whitewash them and make them beautiful. [Cf. Ezekiel 13:10-12.]

“Irene” – the Greek word for “Peace” includes all of the above – calling God our Father and that Jesus is the one who is the bridge to bring about that communion with the Father.

Peace is the gift of the Holy Spirit. Pray for it. Work for it.

Paul VI said, “Development is the new name for peace.” That’s a great quote to chew and digest. He also wrote in his Message for the Celebration of the Day of Peace for the world, January 1st, 1972: “If you want peace, work for justice.”

Every parent with more than one kid has heard the whine, “It’s not fair.”

Everyone who listens to our world – how life, how business, how government, how traffic, how family, how giving out dessert works, has heard viewers say with their words or face, “It’s not fair.”

So enough with the rock throwing – as we heard about in today’s first reading and enough with the word throwing.

CONCLUSION

Want peace, work for justice today.

Want peace, pray St. Francis’ Peace prayer every morning and then put it into practice every day.

Then we’ll discover what Jesus meant by his greeting us with “Peace” this morning – in the opening words of the gospel.

“Peace.”