Jn 14:27–31a
Peace be with you! My peace I give you; not as the world gives peace do I give it to you. Do not be troubled! Do not be afraid! You heard me say, ‘I am going away, but I am coming to you.’ If you loved me, you would be glad that I go to the Father, for the Father is greater than I.
I have told you this now before it takes place, so that when it does happen you may believe. There is very little left for me to tell you, for the prince of this world is at hand, although there is nothing in me that he can claim. But see, the world must know that I love the Father, and that I do what the Father has taught me to do.
REFLECTION
A bishop greets the faithful at Mass with “Pax (sit cum) omnibus” (Peace be with you), whereas a priest normally says, “Dominus vobiscum” (The Lord be with you). What is the difference between these two greetings? Whenever Jesus meets his apostles, especially at the post-resurrection events, he greets them with “Peace be with you.” The Church firmly believes that the apostles (one who is sent out), primarily the receivers and givers of Christ’s peace, were succeeded by bishops. Priests are similar to the disciples (learners, students) of Jesus under the guidance of the apostles. Some people theorize that after the resurrection some of the disciples were commissioned as twelve apostles. (cf. Mk 3:14,15; 6:7-11; Mt 10:1; 28:19,20; Jn 20:23)
We are commissioned also to be both givers and recipients of peace. This is the story of a young man who in his 20’s wanted to change the world, but he could not. In mid-life, he settled instead to change his village but failed. He then decided to change his family and failed again. In his deathbed he thought that he should have started changing himself first, but it was too late. Let peace begin with you, let it be NOW!
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