Yesterday we began
our look at the Eucharistic Rite by examining the introduction and concluding
prayers surrounding the recitation of the Our Father. This part of the Mass not
only includes the Our Father, but also the Rite of Peace, the Agnus Dei and
other preparatory rites. All are designed to lead us to our reception of the Holy
Eucharistic, the only food we will ever need to keep our spiritual fervor
alive. Now we move into the Rite of Peace. The priest begins this with the
words:
“Lord Jesus Christ,
who said to the 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, Who live and reign forever and ever. Amen.”
Remember, we can
have the peace of Christ in our lives only when our wills are united to His,
and when we firmly believe that everything in our lives can be faced and
handled if Christ is truly the Lord of our lives. If not, no peace of lasting
concern is possible. It will always be something elusive we seek in secular
ways, and we will always end up empty. As the Eucharist we will soon receive is
the only “food” we will ever really need, so, too, the peace of Christ is the
only peace that will last forever in our lives, even when the world turns us
completely on our heads! Remember the words guiding the pontificate of John
Paul II: Be not afraid!
Scripture for
reflection: John 14:27: Peace
I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world
gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.
Genesis 15:1: After
this, the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision: “Do not be
afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your very great reward.”
Edward Sri tells
us in his book “The Mass” (Ascension Press, 2011): Many people seek the security and peace of
this world, which is a peace based on success, on everything going well, on
avoiding problems and suffering. But this kind of peace is quite fragile and
fleeting. It is dependent on external circumstances that can easily change…. To
base one’s life on these shaky foundations does not bring real peace at all. It
breeds insecurity. Christ, however, offers us a deeper, longer lasting peace –
one that the world does not give. When we allow Jesus to be the foundation of
our lives and live according to his plan for us, he gives us an internal,
spiritual peace that can withstand life’s many disappointments, trials and sufferings. This is the kind of peace of heart that also builds true unity within marriages, families, communities, parishes and nations. And this
is what the priest prays for at this moment in the liturgy.
Psalm 91
You who dwell in the shelter of the Most High, who abide
in the shade of the Almighty, Say to the LORD, “My refuge and fortress, my God
in whom I trust.” He will rescue you
from the fowler’s snare, from the destroying plague, He will shelter you with his
pinions, and under his wings you may take refuge; his faithfulness is a protecting
shield. You shall not fear the terror of the night nor the arrow that flies by
day, Nor the pestilence that roams in
darkness, nor the plague that ravages at noon. Though a thousand fall at your
side, ten thousand at your right hand, near you it shall not come. You need
simply watch; the punishment of the wicked you will see. Because you have the LORD for
your refuge and have made the Most High your stronghold, No evil shall befall
you, no affliction come near your tent. For he commands his angels with regard
to you, to guard you wherever you go. With their hands they shall support you, lest
you strike your foot against a stone. You can tread upon the asp and the viper, trample the lion and the dragon. Because he clings to me
I will deliver him; because he knows my name I will set him on high. He will
call upon me and I will answer; With length of days I will satisfy him,
and fill him with my saving power.
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