Today's Gospel reading tells us about the first time the Lord sent his disciples on a small mission. That exercise was practice in preparation for the great and definitive mission he would send them at the time of his glorious Ascension. Of the many instructions the Lord gives his disciples for their mission, I would like to focus on just one today.

The Lord says, “Into whatever house you enter, first say, ‘Peace to this household.’ If a peaceful person lives there, your peace will rest on him; but if not, it will return to you.” Today I want to reflect briefly on the gift of peace that the Lord gives his disciples. Peace is an important part of the message and mission of the Church. The reason is that the mission of the Church is the same as the mission of the Lord; the Church will continue this mission of the Lord until the end of time.

The following is one way to understand the Lord's mission. Original sin broke the initial harmony between heaven and the world, between God and creation. A savior was needed to restore this initial harmony, this initial peace. The forgiveness of that sin and every other sin restored the peace between God and the world. The Son of God was sent to restore this peace thru forgiveness.

The prophets of Old Testament referred to the Savior as an agent of peace. The Prophet Isaiah marvelously announced, “For a child is born to us, a son is given to us; upon his shoulder dominion rests. They name him Wonder-Counselor, God-Hero, Father-Forever, Prince of Peace” (Isaiah 9:5).

Today we heard the prophet Isaiah announcing, “For thus says the LORD: I will spread prosperity over Jerusalem like a river” (Isaiah 66:12). Instead of prosperity, some translations of this verse have the word peace. God will spread peace over Jerusalem like a river. That river of prosperity and peace was the one that flowed from the side of the crucified Lord. The waters of Baptism are that river that washes away the sin of the world.

Let us now turn to the eve of the Lord's Passion. The Lord says to his disciples at the Last Supper: "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give it to you" (John 14:27). We already know that the peace of the Lord is the forgiveness of sin. The world cannot give this peace to anyone.

Three days later, on Easter Sunday, in his first appearance to his disciples, the Lord greets them in this way: "Peace be with you!" (John 20:19). When one goes on a journey, one brings back souvenirs for some people. Peace is the precious souvenir that the Lord brought to humanity from his trip to the land of the dead. No one else has returned from that journey! He is the only person who can offer us this gift of God's peace, the gift of the forgiveness of our sins.

The Lord instructs his disciples to offer the gift of peace to the inhabitants of the houses they would visit. They have received that gift. They are to share the gift of peace with others. The Church, all of us, continue to bring this gift of peace, this gift of God's forgiveness, to the world. This gift is part of us; it is given to us at our Baptism and Confirmation. I invite you to reflect on this fact and remember it every time anger or anxiety may take ahold of us.

Let us humbly ask the Lord to grant us his grace to always remember, especially in moments of anger or anxiety, that we are his missionaries tasked with spreading his gift of peace and forgiveness.