Jesus’ Life and Ministry is

Grounded in a Symbol

from His Ancient Hebrew Tradition

At the Core of Jesus’ Life and Ministry is a Symbol ?

The Kin-domThe Reign of God

The Basileia basilei,a,Your Kingdom ComeYour Will be Done

Here – on earth - as it is in Heaven.

~Alv' Shalom derived from the Hebrew verb

[v;y" {yaw-shah'}

swth,rio,nSoteria GreekSalus LatinSalvation English

Shalom ~Alv

God’s Will – God’s Dream – For each human being – in the context of Creation.

God’s Will for my Health, Healing, Wholeness, Holiness, Well-Being.

God’s Will for my liberation from all that prevents me from becoming whole, being healed, becoming holy, becoming free, living the Gift of Life to the Full (John 10:10).

Shalom – A BlessingA Greeting – Be well – Be whole –May you become whole as God

is whole. May you become the Gift God created you to become. “Kia Ora”

Literal meaning - “Broad, Spacious, Room for all” – especially those who have few choices in life – the

‘actually poor’.

What is God’s Will for me – right now? – In terms of the Call to Wholeness?

[v;y" {yaw-shah'} Meaning: 1) to save, be saved, be delivered, to set free, to

liberate from all that is oppresses and diminishes fullness of life.

• Messiah [;yvi²AmJoshua [;vuªAhy>

• Hosea ‘[;ve’AhIsaiah hy"[.v;y>

• Jesus - the Greek Form of Joshua (Hebrew)

~Alv‘ ShalomGod’s Dream for our coming to wholeness

Our well-being – realising our Call to Wholeness/Holiness

Literally – Broad – spacious – room for all’ - completeness, soundness, welfare, safety, soundness, in body, health,

prosperity, well-being, quiet, tranquility.Contentment - friendship: human relations: peace with God,

esp. in covenant relation peace from war: to make peace.

• Contentment – Not having what you want – but – wanting

what you already have!

For What… did Jesus Stand?

Jesus loved His People – and was impelled by a Vision of what they

could become… He not only loved His nation – He held for it a Tender Vision of Peace (Shalom) and Hope. He had

long been compelled by that Covenant born to the nation on Exodus. It was the clash between this covenant ideal (of what could be) and the disturbing realities being lived around Him (what actually was) that finally moved Jesus into Public Activity… A Consequence

of His own Baptismal Choice.

Shalom ~Alv

God’s Will – God’s Dream – For each human being – in the context of Creation.

God’s Will for my Health, Healing, Wholeness, Holiness, Well-Being.

God’s Will for my liberation from all that prevents me from becoming whole, being healed, becoming holy, becoming free, living the Gift of Life to the Full (John 10:10).

Shalom – A BlessingA Greeting – Be well – Be whole – “Kia Ora” – May you become

whole as God is whole. May you become the Gift God created you to become.

Literally – Shalom means “Broad, Spacious, Room for all” – especially those who have few choices in life – the poor.

What is God’s Will for me – right now? – In terms of the

Call to Wholeness?

Our Yes to the Reign of God in our Here and Now

In Jewish spirituality, two concepts dominate and are intertwined: The one, devekut, translates as "clinging to God" or contemplation; the other, tikkun o'lam, translates "repairing the world" the work of justice. One without the other--contemplation without justice, clinging to mystery without repairing the real world--is unfinished, the tradition teaches, is dark without light, is grand without great, is soul without body.

Those who have no flame in their hearts for justice, no consciousness of responsibility for the reign of God, no raging commitment to human community may indeed be seeking God. But make no mistake, God is still, at best, only an idea to them, not a reality. Indeed, contemplation is a very dangerous activity. It not only brings us face to face with God. It brings us, as well, face to face with the world, face to face with the self. And then, of course, something must be done. Nothing stays the same once we have found the God within.... We carry the world in our hearts: the oppression of all peoples, the suffering of our friends, the burdens of our enemies, the raping of the Earth, the hunger of the starving, the joy of every laughing child.

MISSIONMission can be described as an encounter with mystery in unexpected places and in unsuspected ways.

The Will of God - – Shalom – A Blessing of Wholeness, Healing,

Liberation and Holiness.• I am the Ground of your Prayers. First, it is My Will that you have what you desire. Later, I cause you to pray for it, and you do so. How then can you not have what you desire?

Julian of Norwich

Often… we anxiously seek the will of God, as if God had gleefully hidden dreams for us in unfathomable places…as if it were God’s intention that our whole lives be spent in endless searching for signs and directions buried in obscurity.

The Will of God is the Seed of our Dreams ever gestating with possibility and longing to leap forward scattering new and surprising Blessings throughout our everyday reality.

(Edwina Gately)

Shalom - God’s Gift – The Core of Spirituality

‘God simply cannot be separated from the Reign of God, from the divine will that all should flourish .

A spirituality is a concrete way of living the Gospel inspired by the spirit and in the company of others...In basic terms, this is simply a re-enactment of Jesus’ teaching to love God and love neighbour, the two being inseparably entwined.

‘Josephite’ spirituality is a concrete way of living the Gospel, inspired by the Spirit and in company (in communion) with others...On this frontier, the life of faith commits one to discipleship in loving solidarity with all, especially the actually poor and dispossessed of this world. In a true ecclesial sense, this praxis belongs to the central mission of the church.’

Elizabeth Johnson QFLG