Today’s reading from Isaiah gives us a poetic glimpse of the true meaning of shalom. Shalom, in Hebrew, is not merely peace in the sense of absence of conflict. It is a greeting and a wish – peace be with you.

It is a peace that arises from true reconciliation and cooperation, not just a chilly détente where we agree not to talk about the things that divide us.

A common piece of advice in the business world is to “dress for the job you want, not the job you have.” Putting in the extra time and effort to present yourself as “management material” often has the very real effect not only others regarding you in a more positive light, but it can also remind you that you are worthy of such respect and trust and should therefore act like it.

We have been celebrating the Ignatian Jubilee year, from the 500th anniversary of the cannonball at the battle of Pamplona in 1521, to the 400th anniversary of his canonization in 1622. And now as we draw to the close of the Jubilee year, it’s time to ask, “what next?”

At the Tower of Babel, the sin of pride and the arrogance of humanity led to the multiplicity of languages and confusion and division of the nations. But just as the passion of Christ heals the original sin of Adam and Eve, the coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost heals the sin of the Tower of Babel.

“I, John, had a vision of a great multitude, which no one could count, from every nation,race, people, and tongue. They stood before the throne and before the Lamb…” (Revelations 7:9)

Passion is a funny word. It can mean so many things – excitement, warmth, desire, commitment, or deep emotion. It seems strange, then, that this also the name that we Catholics give to the arrest, trial, suffering, and death of our Lord Jesus Christ.

In 1521, Ignatius lead Spanish forces against a rebellion from the kingdom of Navarre, supported by France. This rebel group included the Xavier clan, which fought on the side of Navarre. At this battle, Ignatius was struck by the cannonball which changed the direction of his life. But while Ignatius was experiencing his mystical visions and pioneering the Spiritual Exercises, he was also arrested at least twice by the Inquisition on suspicion of heresy.

Psalm 1, which serves as an introduction to the entire book of Psalms, speaks of two possible paths for the people of Israel: the path of the just and the path of the wicked. With its usual poetic flare, Psalm 1 describes the just one as a tree in full flower, bearing great fruit and bringing prosperity to all, while the path of the wicked is compared to useless chaff which blows away in the wind. “For the Lord watches over the way of the just, but the way of the wicked vanishes” (Ps 1:6).

In the call of Isaiah in today’s first reading and the call of Simon Peter in the gospel, both men tremble at the thought of the Lord speaking to them, let alone actually serving as a messenger of God.  Both men recognize that they are sinners – men who have faults and fears.  How can they possibly be worthy of serving our God Most High?

If you have been to a Catholic wedding, then more likely than not, you have heard today’s second reading: Love is patient, love is kind. It is not jealous, it is not pompous… Love never fails. And because we hear this reading at weddings, it has become synonymous with romantic love.

But the word in Greek that St. Paul uses is not eros – or passionate love. It is agape – self-giving love. It is the love of a parent for a child, the love that gives without counting the cost. It is the love that God has for his people, that he gave his only Son for our salvation. And it is this same love that we are called to return in the Great Commandment – to agape God with all your heart and to agape your neighbor as yourself.