website
Skip to content

Apologetics

Liturgy & Liturgical Law Forum: Placing of Sign of Peace during Mass

by Catherine Frakas 11 Apr 2001

Placing of Sign of Peace during Mass QUESTION from Doug June 20, 2001
Why do we place the greeting between members of the audience during the middle of the Eucharistic Liturgy when the bread and wine has already been transubstantiated? Shouldn't we place it before the transubstantiation so that we are focusing on the Blessed Sacrament and not the people around us?
Doug Gates
ANSWER by Mr. Jacob Slavek on June 25, 2001
Dear Mr. Gates,
Some of the eastern rites actually do place the Sign of Peace before the Offertory. However, that is not the Roman Rite.
In the Tridentine Rite, the kiss of peace was not as complex as it is now. It consisted of the sign being passed from the priest to the other clergy and servers, after he had said Pax Domini sit semper vobiscum, The peace of the lord be with you always. Immediatly after the response, et cum spiritu tuo, the Lamb of God would begin while at solemn Masses the clergy exchanged peace. There was no interupption
It makes sense to place the rite of peace at this point because we have just prayed that God will forgive us as we forgive others. How DARE we recieve Him in communion if we cannot make peace with those sitting nearby? Think of it as a preparation before Communion: so you never have to take your focus away from Him.
When the missal was revised, the church fathers oftentimes took the existing rites and modified them so that they would permit more active participation. This is the case with the current rite of peace. There is no need to move it simply because everyone makes it rather than just the clery.
Of course, disrupting scenes at the sign of peace must be avoided, such as getting out of pews, the priest walking around the church, the rite taking longer than just a brief moment, loud talking, etc.
Oh, by the way, congregation, assembly, faithful, but not audience.
Thank you for your question,
Mr. Slavek
Back to Index Page

930 x 520px

SPRING SUMMER LOOKBOOK

Sample Block Quote

Praesent vestibulum congue tellus at fringilla. Curabitur vitae semper sem, eu convallis est. Cras felis nunc commodo eu convallis vitae interdum non nisl. Maecenas ac est sit amet augue pharetra convallis.

Sample Paragraph Text

Praesent vestibulum congue tellus at fringilla. Curabitur vitae semper sem, eu convallis est. Cras felis nunc commodo eu convallis vitae interdum non nisl. Maecenas ac est sit amet augue pharetra convallis nec danos dui. Cras suscipit quam et turpis eleifend vitae malesuada magna congue. Damus id ullamcorper neque. Sed vitae mi a mi pretium aliquet ac sed elitos. Pellentesque nulla eros accumsan quis justo at tincidunt lobortis deli denimes, suspendisse vestibulum lectus in lectus volutpate.
Prev Post
Next Post
Someone recently bought a
[time] minutes ago, from [location]

Thanks for subscribing!

This email has been registered!

Shop the look

Choose Options

Recently Viewed

Edit Option
Back In Stock Notification
this is just a warning
Shopping Cart
0 items