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With joy, we heard Leo XIV say “Peace be with you all”,

A remembrance of Jesus’ words to the fearful disciples in the hall

To give them hope and confirm them in faith,

Challenged as it was by the downs of this earth.

Dear young friends, the Risen Christ’s greeting to his disciples, “Peace be with you” [John 20:19], is more than a mere salutation; it is an invitation to experience profound joy and calm. This greeting emphasises the wonderful joy that we have in the Easter season. Just as Christ was present among his disciples when they gathered in his name, he is present with us today, offering his peace. My guess is that this fact motivated Pope Leo XIV as he pronounced these words in his maiden speech as bishop Rome: “Peace be with you all”. But what is the meaning of this “peace”, and what makes this greeting so special?

The phrase “Peace be with you” is not just a greeting, “but a gift”, to use the words of the late Pope Francis during his apostolic visit to my native country [Pope Francis, Homily during the Holy Mass at Ndolo Airport, Kinshasa, 1 February 2023]. It is the peace proclaimed by angels at Jesus’ birth and promised to his disciples. This peace, given to us in every Mass, is an Easter peace that comes from the Resurrection. Jesus communicates his peace as a precious gift to be shared through our witness, not kept hidden [Pope St. John Paul II, Homily, Corpus Domini 3 June 1999]. This greeting of peace brings about an inner transformation, calling us to overcome fear, because it is the gift coming from the Lord himself, our Holy Redeemer.

As young people, you are called to be instruments of Christ’s peace in the world, combating chaos and confusion by directing your lives towards God and fostering proper relationships with others. This involves preserving the beauty of nature and the dignity of all creation, ensuring it serves humanity and glorifies the Creator. Learn from Jesus that truth is proclaimed not with violence, but with the force of truth, and “that true peace is the fruit of justice and forgiveness”, to remember St. John Paul II (See Message to youth “GEN 3”, May 18, 2002). In the face of rivalry, offer respectful dialogue, respond to insults with pardon, and promote reconciliation and fraternal solidarity.

“As young people, you are called to be instruments of Christ’s peace in the world, combating chaos and confusion by directing your lives towards God and fostering proper relationships with others. This involves preserving the beauty of nature and the dignity of all creation, ensuring it serves humanity and glorifies the Creator”

Promote a cultural and spiritual revolution by bringing the gospel into all areas of life, showing Christ’s love, especially to the neediest. As a “Caritas minister”, I know how edifying it is to share the journey with those in need, based on the fact that their stories and experiences play an important role in our own human and spiritual growth. In the spirit of synodality that is being widely encouraged in the Church, pray for “the conversion of hearts and the renewal of minds”, so that all may be true peacemakers, bearing witness “to a kingdom of truth, life, holiness, grace, justice, love, and peace” [Pope John Paul II, Speech at the Cathedral of St Rufino in Assisi, 27 October 1986]. How is God’s peace brought into the world? Pope Francis has a proposal you can download into your context: “the weapons of the gospel are prayer, tenderness, forgiveness, and freely given love for every neighbour” [General Audience of 13 April 2022]. By embracing this proposal, you put yourselves on a highway to a sort of peace that is not only felt externally, but deep inside you as well.

Therefore, my dear friends, be gentle and courageous guardians of true peace, based on justice, forgiveness, truth, and mercy. Do you remember St Francis of Assisi and his widely-attributed [and uplifting] “Make me a channel of your peace”? A meditation on this critically and spiritually acclaimed song can serve as a reminder, and solidify your role as apostles of peace. The Church trusts you to send a powerful message to the world through your words and actions, making your dreams of love, justice, and peace a reality, starting with yourselves. With Christ and each other, you are effectively supported.

Place yourselves before our Lord, the source of our peace, and ask him for peace of heart and peace in the world. “Peace be to you” was Christ’s Easter greeting, a comfort to aching hearts. “This is the peace of the risen Christ, a disarming and humble and preserving peace. It comes from God. God, who loves all of us, without any limits or conditions”, Pope Leo XIV said. Christ brought us peace and bequeathed it to us, not as the world gives [John 14:27], but as a divine gift. How precious it is to share the “divine” with those around us!

On earth, peace!

Dominique Mukonda, CICM