Apr 23 Thu
Why do we pray for peace in the Church?
In the Mass, before we share the same spiritual food, we implore peace and unity for the Church and for the whole human family and offer some sign of our love for one another.
Communion is getting closer, and the liturgy becomes ever more intimate. While all the preceding prayers of the Mass were directed to God the Father, now for the first time, the priest addresses himself directly to Jesus Christ. With his hands extended, he prays for peace:
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 and unity, in accordance with your will.
When we pronounce our Amen, we must realize that we are asking not only for our personal peace but also for peace for the whole Church. We know that “every kingdom divided against itself is heading for ruin; and a household divided against itself collapses.”
What a good moment now to rectify, lest the Lord find us at war with one another under the flimsy excuse of serving him better!
This is a good moment to exert effort and begin to understand the reasons and attitudes of others, no matter how different they may be from ours; to love pluralism in the non-dogmatic issues; to respect the diverse viewpoints in debatable matters. How often do we try to proffer our personal solution, passing it as the Gospel message, but being really just that: one more private opinion? Here is a reminder from the Second Vatican Council:
People must remember that no one is allowed to appropriate the Church’s authority for their own opinion in these situations.
With these good dispositions, we receive the priest’s greeting:
The peace of the Lord be with you always.
Then, if the opportunity warrants it, the priest may add:
Let us offer each other the sign of peace.
The priest may give the sign of peace to the ministers but always remains within the sanctuary, so as not to disturb the celebration. The celebrant need not make the sign of peace toward the faithful because he has already done so earlier with the words “The peace of the Lord be with you always.”
The priest gives us the greeting of peace while extending and then joining his hands.
And also with you, we respond.
“Here is a thought that brings peace and that the Holy Spirit provides ready made for those who seek the will of God: ‘The Lord rules me, and I shall want nothing.’
What can upset a soul who sincerely repeats these words?"
And so, we abandon ourselves completely in God’s will:
An act of complete correspondence to the will of God: Is that what you want, Lord?... Then it’s what I want also!
A determined resolution to fulfill the will of God in the smallest things is the only way we can be truly happy. The relative happiness we can achieve here on earth shall be made complete in heaven.