Week 46 | On the Road to Emmaus w/ Bishop Boyea |The Sign of Peace [Video]

“Do I really have to shake her hand?” Imagine that for at least the first 1000 years of Church History you kissed your neighbor at Mass!  Where did this come from? That’s what we’ll find out this week On the Road to Emmaus, our year-long pilgrimage through the Most Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, as we explore the significance of the Sign of Peace.

 After the priest prays a short prayer to Jesus asking for peace and unity for the Church, in spite of our sinfulness, he then directs his attention to the congregation and says, “The peace of the Lord be with your always,” and we respond, “And with your spirit.”  Then the Deacon may invite us to offer a sign of peace to each other. The directions in the Missal state: “And all offer one another a sign, in keeping with local customs, that expresses peace, communion, and charity.”

At the end …