Sunday peace

Often at Mass, we pray and ask for and at the end of Mass are challenged to, “Go in Peace.” The last concern the Scriptures touch upon is Jesus’ promise of peace to his followers, and to each one of us as we leave every Mass.

What does Jesus mean when He promises peace? For Jesus, it is simple: He states, “If you love me and keep my commandments, you will have peace.” It is that simple! He will ascend to the Father and be gone for a little while; but for now, keep the commandments and your reward will be peace.

No matter what storms encircle you, Jesus will come back and save you. The Holy Spirit also offers us peace that will touch us and give us a peace that no one and nothing can take from you. This is a peace that hopefully lets you know from the depth of self that there is more right than wrong. The reason for that is simple, also, Christ alone is our true peace.

Perhaps peace is as simple as a man who just turned 112 and was asked, what is his secret?

He answered, “Loving God and being nice to people.”

With all that we are presently reading and hearing about, it very important that perhaps we all start to be nice to people!

As Catholics, we are challenged to celebrate every Sunday as a Little Easter. If Christ had not risen from the dead, there would be no reason to come to Mass and receive both the Eucharist and His Peace. We might have a meal commemorating the Last Supper, as our Jewish brothers and sisters do when once a year they celebrate Passover.

The Eucharist is not a re-enactment: it is real. It is alive! It is the risen Lord, himself, who leads every celebration of the Eucharist. The Eucharist is not something we do on our own; but the Mass is the action of Christ and the People of God together. It is the Risen Lord, in His Glorified Human Body, who calls us together, who hosts the celebration and invites us to take His Body and Blood and become one with Him and one another.

Christ did rise from the dead, and continually in these 40 days after Easter, He calls upon all not to be afraid but to know and be peace. This is why every Sunday has traditionally been called a “Little Easter.”