The Hidden Depths of the Mass #32

The Sign of Peace

Having celebrated the Sacrifice of Jesus in the Eucharist, after praying the Lord’s Prayer, we offer a Sign of Peace.  On several occasions Jesus offered peace to his disciples.  The words said by the priest here come from John 14:27, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you.”

Jesus continued, “Not as the world gives do I give it to you.”  The Sign of Peace we offer to each other is not a worldly “hello, how are you doing.”  It is not a worldly peace we offer.  We are expressing our “ecclesial communion” (GIRM, 82).  We do not move around the church like at a social hour.  Rather, we let the Peace of Christ spread out from one to another after the priest first says, “The peace of the Lord be with you always.”

(The previous articles in this series are available online at https://renewaloffaith.org/bulletin-series-on-the-mass-2023/)