INTRODUCTION

CHARISM (SHEVA)

In Hebrew, *Sheva* (*שבע*) is a signification of completeness, perfection, and covenant.^[1] Biblically, it refers to promise/oath or heir of the promise/ ‘an Israelite’ – *II Sam. 20:25; I Chr. 2:49*).^[2] All God’s promises are fulfilled in Jesus Christ (2 Cor. 1:20), whom the image of the Sacred Heart signifies, especially in evangelization. The Sacred Heart is the synthesis of the Gospel.^[3] It is humble, truthful, merciful, loving, and always meets the basic existential needs of His people in prayer (Mt. 11:28).

As an acronym, it stands for:

*S* – Sacred

*H* – Heart

*E* – Evangelizing

*V* – Virtue

*A* – Alive.

NB/ The charism—grace—of the Sacred Heart Evangelizing Virtue Alive (S.H.E.V.A.) embodies the seal of true apostleship: God’s own signature upon the mission entrusted (cf. Jn. 20:21; 1 Cor. 9:2,16). S.H.E.V.A. is a declaration that whatever God does will endure forever (Eccl. 3:14).

Sacred Heart Evangelizing Virtue Alive (S.H.E.V.A)

Core Meaning:

Evangelization is born from virtue that lives. Not just taught, but embodied. The acronym S.H.E.V.A becomes a declaration—that when virtue awakens, mission begins.

Theological Tone:

• Speaks to moral formation grounded in mystical encounter.
• Suggests transformation into living witnesses of God’s love.
• Echoes Pauline themes: Galatians 2:20 (“It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me”).

Strategic Implications:

• Suits a formation-centered school where personal holiness drives evangelization.
• Easily expandable for retreats, mentorship programs, and youth formation.

Poetic/Pastoral Power:

[1] Ancestry.com, Judaism, The Origin and Meaning of Sheva at https://www.ancestry.com/first-name-meaning/sheva (accessed 15/9/2024).

[1] Babynamespedia.com, Sheva at https://www.babynamespedia.com/meaning/Sheva/f (accessed 15/9/2024).

• “Virtue Alive” evokes vitality, joy, and missionary fire.
• It is active, dynamic, and generative.
• It can grow into anthem-like refrains in presentations: “Virtue alive… hearts set ablaze.”

Summary

SHEVA charism:

• Flows from the Heart of Jesus, emphasizing intimacy, mercy, and missionary zeal.
• Animates evangelization not as a strategy, but as a virtue alive—a living witness of love, hope, and transformative presence.
• Shapes formation, discipleship, and prayer into a rhythm of encounter and communion.
• Serves the Church, especially in Meru, as a spiritual energy that awakens vocations and renews pastoral structures

The Charism of SHEVA (Sacred Heart Evangelizing Virtue Alive) is a grace of spiritual combustion—a living flame drawn from the pierced Heart of Christ. It is an ecclesial pulse, gifted by the Holy Spirit to awaken virtue and mission within hearts, especially in the Diocese of Meru, where prayer becomes the Church’s breath.

SHEVA is not a method—it is a visitation. It animates discipleship with compassion, courage, and communion, forming evangelizers whose lives are themselves proclamations of God’s Kingdom.

Formation in this charism seeks not merely to inform—it inflames. The Ecclesial School of Heart-to-Heart Prayer becomes a sanctuary where hearts are shaped by SHEVA’s rhythm of self-dedication to God through stillness and listening, enhanced by the evangelical counsels, attaining God (Truth) through faith in God’s promises, attaining God (Mercy and Might) through persevering hope, reaching out to God (Love) through living charity, and meeting people’s basic existential need through divine power.

The Ecclesial School of Heart-to-Heart Prayer, a Sanctuary of Presence for Ecclesial Transformation in the Diocese of Meru, reflects Giardini’s theology of active holiness, making virtue a missionary pathway.