Spiritual Practice of the Week: Passing the Peace

Spiritual Practice of the Week

May this Easter morning be a celebration for you….

….that whatever old ways imprison you: old thoughts, old words, old deeds…may pass away….

And new ways, new thoughts, new words, new deeds, may flourish in your life. 

Peace be with you.  May you rise with Christ!

Passing the Peace

The passing of the peace originates in the New Testament, mostly in the writings of St. Paul, and was practiced in the early church during the liturgy as a way of connecting and joining the gathered as the body of Christ.   While St. Paul suggested we pass the kiss of peace, today we tend to pass the peace of Christ through a warm handshake or an embrace.   The passing of the peace is generally practiced during a Sunday morning service, but can be used in any service or gathering.   It’s a way of practicing love for one another, and a way to really see and greet the other person and wish them the deepest blessing, the peace of Christ.

The Paschal greeting is an Easter custom among Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox, and Eastern Catholic Christians, as well as among some Roman Catholic and Protestant Christians.   Instead of "hello" or its equivalent, one is to greet another person with "Christ is Risen!", and the response is "Truly, He is Risen" with an embrace and a kiss or two or three.

Latin:  Christus resurrexit! Resurrexit vere!                                                                                             English:  Christ is Risen! Truly He is Risen!

Encourage youth to pass the peace to one another at different times during your gatherings.   Read John 20:19-21 and share the history and meaning of passing the peace.   Suggest they try out passing the peace in a few ways: shaking hands, embracing (if they feel comfortable), holding hands in prayer pose and bowing to one another, or holding both hands of the other person.   In each pose, ask people to look at the other person and say, “The peace of Christ be with you.” In sharing the peace of Christ in this structured way, no one is left out and all are welcome to participate as they wish.

Jesus’ peace is the way we remember the life of the one for whom we are named. 

This icon of friendship is from the third century and depicts Jesus with his arm around one of his followers.  Passing the Peace.

© This prayer practice and all of those on the Sunday Morning Blog Post can be found in:  "Go Deep: Spiritual Practices for Youth Ministry" Wood Lake Publishing
Doris is the Youth Director for the United Church of Canada in BC.