This “Mass for peace” will ask God’s grace upon our Vice-President as he meets with Iranian leaders these next few days to end the war. We pray that the killing and destruction will quickly end, that Iran will drop its nuclear weapons program, and that leaders on both sides will cease throwing vile threats at each other. We must pray for peace, as the Bible urges us to “pray for the peace of Jerusalem” (Psalm 122). If Jerusalem is peaceful, then the world will be peaceful, but Jerusalem (literally the “City of Peace”) has rarely had peace over its 3000-year history. Our leaders, just like ourselves, are evil. It was in Jerusalem that the Prince of Peace was murdered, and in this Sunday’s gospel, he walks through the walls of the Upper Room to say “peace be with you” three times. He wants to give us His peace, but we must humble ourselves to receive it. Only Christ can bring about true peace in men’s hearts.

Let us pray for our leaders and for ourselves to receive God’s peace in humility, both at the Masses tomorrow and at the 7am Mass for Peace on Monday.