Another Quasimodo thought...

...that occurred as Pastor preached upon the “Peace” Jesus greeted His own with this day. The Roman liturgy relatively early on moved the Pax from kicking off the service of the Sacrament to immediately prior to the distribution of the blessed Sacrament, i.e., after the Consecration. Here it acquires that new meaning that Luther delighted in (see Formula Missae). Pax domini sit semper vobiscum. He spoke His peace to their fear and then He showed them the wounds that had defeated all death and brought in life everlasting. And so turning to us with the body and blood of the self-same Savior in his hands, our Pastor speaks to us “The peace of the Lord be with you always.” We can only answer: “Amen!” Luther called it a public absolution, this peace. It surely must have seemed that way to the apostles behind the locked doors in the upper room. “Peace!” the Risen One cried, and then the sight of that which had gained our peace. And so this is a peace “semper,” alway. It’s not peace for a moment. Or even a few moments. This is a peace that endures, secured by His wounds. They testify forever to this peace being ours, with us forever, semper vobiscum.

P.S. And I have no idea if this is an accident or not, but it certainly looks to me like the crucifix on our main altar has the crucified Lord giving the “Latin” blessing with His right hand (left hand facing straight on) and the “Eastern” blessing with His left hand (right hand facing straight on).