WHEN GOD BREAKS THROUGH IN ME . . .

. . . “SHALOM” !

“SHALOM”, HE SAID AND SHOWED ME HIS HANDS . . . . “SHALOM” . . . . . HIS WOUNDS . . . HIS SIDE.

HOW DID HE GET THROUGH MY LOCKED DOOR ? MORE PRESSING THAN HOW, HE , ONCE DEAD, NOW STANDS IN MY MIDST . . . ALIVE ! IN LOVE WITH ME ! . . . . “SHALOM”.

RISEN, THOUGH STILL WOUNDED, HE APPEARS AGAINST ALL REASON, LOGIC, COMMON SENSE . . . . . CONFERRING ON ME WITH SHATTERED HOPES, WHOSE DREAMS GO UNFULFILLED. . . . “SHALOM”.

TO ME, BURDENED, BOWED AND BROKEN . . . . THROUGH NO FAULT OF MY OWN, OR THROUGH EVERY FAULT OF MY OWN . . . COMES AN UNEXPECTED HOLY WHOLENESS . . . . . . . . WHOLLY UNDESERVED.

“PEACE”, “HELLO”, “HEALTH”, “GOODBYE”, “COMPLETENESS” . . .

. . . . IN A WORD . . . . “SHALOM” !

GOD KNOWS ME; GOD LOVES ME; GOD FORGIVES ME; GOD HEALS ME;
GOD WANTS ME TO BE LIKE HIM . . . TOTALLY ALIVE . . . . . IN LOVE WITH HIM TOTALLY !

“SHALOM” !

MAY THE PEACE OF CHRIST DISTURB ME LIKE THE GRAIN OF SAND THE OYSTER PEARLS.

FROM THE SMOLDERING ASHES OF A THOUSAND WHAT-IFS, AND, AS MANY
MIGHT-HAVE-BEENS . . . . COMES THIS LIFE GIVING, LIBERATING WORD . . . .

“SHALOM” !

AND, ME, WITH HEART BROKEN BY REGRETS AND DISAPPOINTMENTS . . . CRUSHED PERHAPS BEYOND MY ABILITY TO ENDURE AT TIMES . . . . EXTEND MY DOUBTS TO TOUCH THE ONE WHO CANNOT BE . . . BUT IS . . AND, THERE , AND, THEN. . . . FIND THE ANSWER TO MY DEEPEST LONGING . . . .

“SHALOM” . . . . . JESUS CALLS TO ME . . .

(Written by Father Joseph Veneroso of Maryknoll Magazine.)