This week, we will be reintroducing the Sign of Peace to the Mass, so in preparation I would like to provide some notes.
For a complete history of the Sign of Peace, see pp. 321ff of Jungmann’s Mass of the Roman Rite.
Very broadly, the Sign of Peace has existed since the earliest centuries of the Roman Rite as a preparation for communion, influenced by Mt. 5:23f. Because communion represents not only our unity with Christ, but our unity with the entire Body of Christ, it is essential that we be at peace with our brethren before we present ourselves for communion.
As this sign got ritualized, the Sign of Peace began to be understood to come from the altar, which is to say, from Christ himself. The priest would kiss the altar, give a sign of peace to the deacon, and from the deacon it would spread to the people. Some Mass Rites, like that of the Syro-Malabar Church, still explicitly require the reception of the peace before one can give it to others. It is passed along the pews, like we pass the Easter light at the Easter vigil. In today’s Roman Rite we are not quite as explicit about this, but the priest still begs Christ to grant peace and unity to the Church and then the priest gives his own peace to the people. Only after this does the deacon instruct the people to give a sign of peace to each other.
The Sign of Peace is ancient, beautiful, and deeply meaningful, so it is important that we treat it as such. In 2014, the Roman Curial Congregation in charge of liturgy published a letter on the Sign of Peace requesting that “this liturgical gesture be done with religious sensibility and sobriety.” The two most important instructions in the letter were:
“It should be kept in mind that nothing is lost when the sign of peace is marked by a sobriety which preserves the proper spirit of the celebration, as, for example, when it is restricted to one’s immediate neighbours.”
“In any case, it will be necessary, at the time of the exchange of peace, to definitively avoid abuses such as:
- the introduction of a “song for peace”, which is non-existent in the Roman Rite.
- the movement of the faithful from their places to exchange the sign of peace amongst themselves.
- the departure of the priest from the altar in order to give the sign of peace to some of the faithful.
- that in certain circumstances, such as at the Solemnity of Easter or of Christmas, or during ritual celebrations such as Baptism, First Communion, Confirmation, Matrimony, Sacred Ordinations, Religious Professions, and Funerals, the exchange of peace being the occasion for expressing congratulations, best wishes or condolences among those present.”
It is my hope that, as we return to offering the Sign of Peace, we can make it a continuation of the prayerful attitude of the Mass, and not an interruption to it.
Fr. Moore 