Bulletins

April 12, 2015

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"Peace be with you!"

Among the last details of Easter Sunday recorded in Sacred Scripture is Our Lord's visit to some of the Apostles as described by St. John in the twentieth chapter of his Gospel.

19 On the evening of that day, the first day of the week, the doors being shut where the disciples were, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said to them, "Peace be with you." 20 When He had said this, He showed them His hands and His side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord. 21 Jesus said to them again, "Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I send you." 22 And when He had said this, He breathed on them, and said to them, "Receive the Holy Spirit. 23 If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained."

Long before Pope St. John Paul II assigned the title "Divine Mercy Sunday" to the Second Sunday of Easter, the Church observed the last day of the Easter Octave with a particular focus on the Lord's mercy shown on the Day of the Resurrection and a week later. On Easter He gave the Apostles the authority to forgive any sins. The Apostles in turn conveyed that sacred power to bishops and priests. In the Sacrament of Confession we encounter the same Jesus who a week after Easter appeared again to the Apostles, with whom this time was "Doubting" Thomas. But the Sunday's Gospel does not end there. It continues at verse 26 to recount what happened a week later.

26 Eight days later, his disciples were again in the house, and Thomas was with them. The doors were shut, but Jesus came and stood among them, and said, "Peace be with you." 27 Then he said to Thomas, "Put your finger here, and see my hands; and put out your hand, and place it in my side; do not be faithless, but believing."

Since our parish has resumed the sign of peace at Mass, now that the Easter season has begun, please consider sacred gesture as the message of the Risen One. When the priest or deacon invites you to "offer each other the sign of peace" remember that it is the peace you have received from the Lamb of God through His priest that you convey to another. The instructions for the Mass instituted by Pope St. John Paul II in 2002 make clear that the sign of peace of the faithful be done "in a sober manner" and that the priest remain in the sanctuary. Moreover "while the sign of peace is being given, one may say, 'Pax Domini sit semper vobiscum' (The peace of the Lord be with you always), to which the response is 'Amen'." The implication is that words are not necessary. That's sobering. The gesture is not prescribed. At your next Mass observe how the priest exchanges peace with the sacred ministers… and it might evoke images of Jesus and Thomas.

May God bless you with His peace.

Fr. Christopher J. Pollard