By Father Homero Rodriguez
Because I am Catholic!
You’ve probably noticed at Mass, especially if you attend regularly and are familiar with the different components of it, the number of times the priest prays for and wishes upon the faithful the Peace of Christ. Let’s take a look. At the Communion Rite, the priest prays the following:
— “Deliver us, Lord, we pray, from every evil, graciously grant PEACE in our days…”
— “Lord Jesus Christ, who said to your Apostles: PEACE I leave you, my PEACE I give you, look not on our sins, but on the faith of your Church, and graciously grant her PEACE…”
— “The PEACE of the Lord be with you always.”
— “Let us offer each other the sign of PEACE.”
Even at the end of Mass we are encouraged to “go in PEACE.”
This was done on purpose. The Church wants to emphasize the fact that genuine peace can only come from Christ. “Not as the world gives do I give to you,” Jesus remarks (John14:27).
What the world offers is merely an illusion of peace, a temporary analgesic.
We think we understand the definition of peace, but we don’t.
Look at those who promise to bring peace to places of war and conflict by means of armament, destruction and death. What an irony. That is not the PEACE of Christ, even if they invoke His Holy Name while doing so.
Violence has no place in the realm of peace.
Pope Francis expressed this quite openly, “… War is madness. Whereas God carries forward the work of creation… war destroys. It also ruins the most beautiful work of His hands: human beings. War ruins everything, even the bonds between brothers. War is irrational; its only plan is to bring destruction…”
“If we have no peace,” Mother Teresa once said, “it is because we have forgotten that we belong to each other.”
Pope Leo XIV has constantly reminded us that peace always begins with our willingness to dialogue, which is something that some individuals in positions of leadership and power intentionally reject. A true peacemaker is willing to sit down and listen.
The sign of peace at Holy Mass is such a powerful moment. Sometimes we know the person sitting next to us, sometimes we don’t. And that’s the point. It’s easy to wish peace upon those we know, love and care about. The challenge is to shake hands with people who look different, who think, speak, pray and worship different from us.
Jesus’ new commandment to love one another becomes a reality when two strangers sitting in the same pew next to each other wish upon the other the Peace of Christ.
Father Homero serves as part-time parochial vicar at St. Joseph Parish in Jasper and St. Mary Parish in Huntingburg.