Jesus greeted the women with "Shalom! Peace!" but this normal Hebrew greeting was now transformed. In greeting them, Jesus was taking away their fear and sharing with them the joy and peace of the Resurrection - that peace which he had promised at the Last Supper and which the world could never give. That peace would become a special Christian greeting, especially in union with the word "grace" as we see in the opening verses of St Paul's Epistles. At Jesus' greeting of "Shalom! Peace!" the hearts of his disciples were filled with joy. The Resurrection brings us a multitude of graces: joy and peace, hope and courage in facing life, the peace of God's acceptance and forgiveness, the serenity of being loved for ever.

We should remember that our greeting of peace before we receive the Eucharist at Mass should be reverential, for we are greeting each other with the "peace of Christ". Our human friendliness, with God's blessing, must become truly an instrument of God's peace which the risen Christ offers to others through us.