Peace Be With You Part of the Mass

[ronl]

I really think we can do much better at expressing that we (the laity) have a genuine concern for people when we give each other a sign of peace.

No matter what Church, a weak wave, symbolic handshake, and I recall one instance where I was standing right next to someone, offered a handshake and they backed away. What a poor witness to non-Catholic persons who are visiting Mass and exploring the truths of Catholicism, and witness this. Other denominations do a much better job at showing or expressing friendship. So sad!!! Perhaps it would be better if this part of the Mass was simply deleted.

Ron

 

[Phemie]

It is optional, so omitting it wouldn’t be a problem. It’s supposed to be a sober, sharing of peace with the people close to you in the pew, not a major emotional moment.

 

[LaRoza]

I heard this part will be moved from the Pauline liturgy (not sure where, beginning or end).

I do not like it as it is very unemotional and very disruptive (at least, if done with handshakes and waves or whatever). All dialogue should be done as a whole. The priest says it, the congregation responds. We are not there to be sociable with each other. After mass social events however, are great and I think they should be more common.

 

[passus]

I do not like it as it is very unemotional and very disruptive (at least, if done with handshakes and waves or whatever). All dialogue should be done as a whole. The priest says it, the congregation responds. We are not there to be sociable with each other. After mass social events however, are great and I think they should be more common.

These are exactly the grounds the Bishops have used to justify their consideration of moving the sing of peace to just after the prayer of the faithful, legislation that has literally been years in progress and seems to have just come back up now with the discussion of the new English translation of the Roman Missal.

Check out this recent article from Jimmy Akin’s blog, which reports on the latest.

jimmyakin.org/2009/01/sign-of-peace-update.html

 

[maize]

what if it was moved to after mass outside and people filed up in two single file lines and greeted each other, like after a baseball game.



that said, i dont mind greeting people in my vicinity but it gets so weird with people hopping aisles and such…

 

[Jean_Anthony]

Please keep in mind that this thread is NOT about whether or not people should greet each other in any specific way. That topic is under a moratorium. Thank you all.

 

[WhollyRoamin]

The theory is a pretty good one, you should be able to receive your neighbor in peace before you are fit to receive Christ and His peace.

It also roughly corresponds to where the Priest would offer the Sign of Peace to the Deacon/Sub-Deacon in a Pontifical High Mass. Such Masses are/were rare enough that it didn’t come up very often… and handshaking is a lot less “invasive” than the Roman Kiss of Peace that they’re doing in the Pontifical High Mass.

But despite the fact that it smacks of a hermeneutic of rupture, in practice, it’s a good idea to move the gladhanding to the beginning of Mass. Maybe right after “Gather Us In” and right before “Good morning everybody/good morning Father”. The age-old tradition of Catholics pantomiming the air-handshake across the aisle or the 2-finger-peace-sign for your bro’s two pews behind you is a greater disruption to the focus on the Liturgy than trying to follow along with the hand-gestures of “Peace is Flowing Like a River” while you’re processing up to communion.

Maybe the Roman Kiss of Peace isn’t so bad after all? Nah. I don’t think Father could get away with hugging either the Altar Girls or the Altar Boys today. I say we just get rid of it altogether. The Kiss of Peace never happened outside the Pontifical High Mass, and those really didn’t happen all that much anyway. I say that if you want to gladhand with other Catholics, meet them in the church basement for donuts after Mass.