Instead, “it is appropriate that each person, in a sober manner, offer the Sign of Peace only to those who are nearest” (GIRM 82). They also state that the faithful should not move from their places in order to exchange peace with those who are not in their immediate vicinity. ![]() The guidelines direct that there should be no “song of peace” at this time, which is not called for in the rite. It is important to remember that the Sign of Peace is offered at a very holy point in the Mass, just after the Eucharistic Prayer and just before Holy Communion.īecause of concerns that were raised about misunderstandings of this sign which can distract the faithful from remaining prayerfully focused on the Eucharist they are about to receive, the Congregation for Divine Worship in Rome reviewed the current practice “in order to safeguard the sacred sense of the Eucharistic celebration and the sense of mystery at the moment of receiving Holy Communion.” The Congregation gave some practical guidelines to help ensure that the Sign of Peace is better understood and “to moderate excessive expressions that give rise to disarray in the liturgical assembly before Communion.”Īmong these guidelines, the Congregation described certain abuses that must be avoided so as not to distract the faithful from the holiness of the moment and obscure the true meaning of the gesture. The common practice with which we are familiar is to shake hands while saying, “Peace be with you.” However, because the handshake is a gesture also used in other social settings there is risk that it can be treated and interpreted in the same manner as in those other settings. Today the Sign of Peace is offered by everyone to those around them. ![]() In this way peace is “passed” from the altar of Christ’s sacrifice, through the sacred ministers, to the faithful. He then offered peace to the deacon, who in turn offered it to the subdeacon, and so on down the line of ministers in a ritualized “embrace.” Other liturgical rites of the Catholic Church retain similar practices. In the past, the offering of this sign began with the priest kissing the altar. It is a sacred ritual gesture that signifies the peace of Christ which flows from the sacrifice made present on the altar. The Sign of Peace is not a social exchange. Here we entreat Christ to grant us the peace that only He can give, and we exchange His peace with those around us. Through the Rite of Peace during the Mass, which occurs after the Lord’s Prayer and before the reception of Holy Communion, the Church, “entreats peace and unity for herself and for the whole human family, and the faithful express to each other their ecclesial communion and mutual charity before communicating in the Sacrament” ( General Instruction of the Roman Missal 82). In the Holy Mass we are united to the sacrifice of Christ through which we are reconciled to God. The Holy Eucharist is the sacrament of peace. After He rose from the dead He greeted His disciples with the words, “Peace be with you.” ![]() Christ won this peace for us through His Passion, Death, and Resurrection. He tells the Apostles at the Last Supper, “Peace I leave with you my peace I give to you” (John 14:27). Christ came to bring us the peace for which we all long.
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