The Communion Rite
in accordance with the
General Instruction of the Roman Missal
and the
Norms for the Distribution and Reception of Holy Communion Under Both Kinds
Number 5: The Meaning of the Sign of Peace
The Rite of Peace follows, by which the Church asks for 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 sign of peace to be given, the manner is to be established by Conferences of Bishops in accordance with the culture and customs of the peoples. It is, however, appropriate that each person offer the sign of peace only to those who are nearest and in a sober manner (GIRM, 82).
What is the liturgical meaning of the Sign of Peace?
Not a few Catholics think of the Sign of Peace as a recent innovation. In reality, the Sign of Peace has been a part of the Eucharistic Liturgy from the earliest days of the Church. Over the centuries, the Sign of Peace, like praying in orans, began to be reserved only for the ordained. Eventually, it was only exchanged during the celebration of the Solemn High Mass by those in the sanctuary. The reforms of Vatican II revived this practice and once again extended it to the whole congregation.
The priest exchanges the Sign of Peace with everyone present when he says: “The peace of the Lord be with you.” After the liturgical assembly’s response, the priest or deacon invites everyone to exchange some sign of Christ’s peace with each other. The emphasis here is on Christ’s peace. It is the Risen Lord present in each member of the community that is shared. This liturgical action moves us from the orans of the Lord’s Prayer, in which we asked God to “forgive our trespasses as we forgive,” to an actual display of our desire for forgiveness and unity in the Sign of Peace. This ritual sharing of peace is meant to reveal our unity in Christ in preparation for Communion.
The GIRM makes it clear that we should share the Sign of Peace only with those who are near to us and in a dignified and sober manner. This is not a time for exchanging secular greetings, or for introducing ourselves to those who may be strangers to us, or for concerned conversation among community members, as good and necessary as these actions indeed are. As one liturgist, Fr. Lawrence Mick indicates, the Sign of Peace is “a ritual prayer for Christ’s peace to fill the lives of those with whom we are about to share the Lord’s Body and Blood.” The Sign of Peace presumes that we have already welcomed the strangers among us and hospitably greeted our fellow community members even before the Liturgy begins. The Sign of Peace as a sign of the community’s unity prepares us for the most unifying moment of the Mass — namely, Holy Communion. No wonder the Church asks that this gesture be done with dignity.
The need for a proper understanding of the Sign of Peace is not new. In the fourth century Saint Cyril of Jerusalem had to remind Christians of its true meaning. He preached: “Do not assume that this is the customary kiss exchanged by friends in public. No, this kiss joins souls together in search of complete forgiveness from one another. So the kiss marks the fusion of souls, and the expulsion of all resentment from wrongs. (Mystagogical Catecheses 5.3). No wonder the Church asks that this gesture be done with dignity.
At the same time another noted theologian, Theodore of Mopsuestia, once again opened up the meaning of this Rite. He preached:
This kiss that all exchange constitutes a kind of profession of unity and charity that exists among them. Each of us gives the kiss of peace to the person next to him, and so in effect gives it to the whole assembly, because this act is an acknowledgment that we have all become the single Body of Christ the Lord and so must preserve with one another that harmony... loving one another equally, supporting and helping one another, regarding the individual’s needs as the concerns of the community, sympathizing with one another’s sorrows and sharing one another’s joys. (Baptismal Homily 4.39)
This reminder of this Father of the Church is so important that even today the GIRM notes: “The priest may give the Sign of Peace to the ministers but always remains in the sanctuary, so as not to disturb the celebration” (GIRM, 154). This is not about a cleric being aloof. This directive is meant to remind of us the words of Saint Paul: “If one member suffers, all suffer... if one member is honored, all rejoice...” (1 Corinthians 12:26). To share the Sign of Peace with just one person in the Body of Christ is to share it with all.
As in the case of the Lord’s Prayer, the GIRM does not suggest nor forbid any particular gesture for this Rite. In accord with one’s culture and personal temperament, one may choose to shake hands with another, or bow to another reverently and cordially, or embrace another ritually (not unlike the Pope who does so when he concelebrates Mass). No matter what gesture we choose we should be respectful of another’s culture and temperament. We should remember we engage in a very serious prayer for “peace, communion, and charity.” This is a prayer so desperately needed in our time. It is for this reason that the GIRM states: “While the Sign of Peace is being give, one may say ‘The Peace of the Lord be with you,’ to which the response is ‘Amen!’” (GIRM, 154). This gesture is not simply a sign, but a great prayer to which we can only say: “Amen!”
This bulletin insert is provided by the Office for Pastoral Liturgy of the Diocese of Cleveland. Reverend J-Glenn Murray, SJ, Mrs. Joanne Tadych, and Reverend Michael G. Woost are the authors. © 2003.
