Question about sign of the peace

[TheDoctor]

My opinion is that the Mass itself is what we celebrate as brothers and sisters in Christ. Communion is a personal experience (not everyone in church can or does go to communion) where each of us personally receive Jesus into our individual bodies and souls. Thus, since I personally am receiving my God, I personally need to prepare my heart to receive Him.

I understand what you are saying, however I believe that the Church would say that part of that individual preparation is the acknowledgement that we are the body of Christ - those who will receive and those who will not. The GIRM has a short paragraph that I think sums it up:
The Rite of Peace
82. There follows the Rite of Peace, by which the Church entreats peace and unity for herself and for the whole human family, and the faithful express to each other their ecclesial communion and mutual charity before communicating in the Sacrament.

As for the actual sign of peace to be given, the manner is to be established by the Conferences of Bishops in accordance with the culture and customs of the peoples. However, it is appropriate that each person, in a sober manner, offer the sign of peace only to those who are nearest.

 

[Beryllos]

I thought “Communion” was about celebrating that all are one, in Christ, the very Body of Christ on earth.

If so, how is recognizing that at that point in the Mass that the earthly Body of Christ partakes in the actual Body of Christ inappropriate or a distraction from what is important?

I thought that it was all about the actual spiritual unity brought about by partaking together in the Eucharist.

Or is Communion to be understood as a private thing, an individual experiencing Communion with God, as opposed to all experiencing Communion with God and the entire Church/Body of Christ?

Thank you for any clarification

I think you are on the right track. I suspect the importance of having the sign of peace at that particular moment may come from these words Jesus spoke:
“So when you are offering your gift at the altar, if you remember that your brother or sister* has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar and go; first be reconciled to your brother or sister*, and then come and offer your gift.”

Matthew 5:23-24 New Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition … … *This phrase in the Greek reads “your brother.”
Therefore I am all for a “sign of peace.” Yeah, it may be only symbolic; we are not going to mend a broken relationship in that moment. Nevertheless I think it is important to perform that outward act and remind ourselves that Jesus commanded us to overcome our anger (verse 22), reconcile with each other (v 24), turn the other cheek (v 39), and love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us (v 44). We participate in the Eucharist individually, yes, and also as a community.

The communal aspect of our worship also appears in 1 Corinthians where Paul tells us that we are members of the body of Christ (chapter 12), and that in our communal worship, we must work together (cooperate) in order to build up the church and to build up each other in faith (ch. 14).

I agree that the sign of peace is a bit undignified in many communities. In my opinion, it should not be a hello or a salute, but should really be a sign of respect and love.

Here is a challenge for you: If you don’t like the way the sign of peace is done, envision another way that could it be done better, short of throwing it out. This is more like a thought experiment; the sign of peace, such as it is, is now ingrained in church culture and it would take a prolonged effort to change it. If you were the boss (the bishop or the pope) and you wanted to restore a proper sign of peace, what sort of sign would you find acceptable?

 

[pianistclare]

Thank you for your reply. I don’t mind the priest wishing the congregation peace and the congregation wishing peace for the priest.
It is the part we turn to each orher and do the sign of peace or handshake. Before mass begins we greet one another and smile and shake hands. It seems another distraction during mass.

If you really want to talk about it, there are a zillion (ok lots) of threads on this. Use the Search function.
These threads always end badly.
Some think it’s fine others don’t.
That’s basically the long and short of it.
:compcoff:

 

[ProVobis]

So the sign of peace was part of the liturgy before Vatican II?

The prayer for peace (“Lord who has said to Thy Apostles: Peace I leave you…”) has been part of the Mass since Trent if not before, pretty much left intact except for the vernacular. As has been pointed out, after Vatican II the sign, which had been previously exchanged between the clerics, was extended to the congregation. Actually I believe it was in 1970, not right after Vatican II.

Note, however, the prayer and sign were moved to before the Agnus Dei, perhaps making it more noticeable as part of the Mass. (The point being that it could again be changed to another point in the Mass in the future. It’s already been discussed.)

 

[maryjk]

If you really want to talk about it, there are a zillion (ok lots) of threads on this. Use the Search function.
**These threads always end badly. **
Some think it’s fine others don’t.
That’s basically the long and short of it.
:compcoff:

Yep.

We must remember, the Mass isn’t about us. It really isn’t about what we like or don’t like.