“Peace be with you all” were the words with which Pope Leo XIV greeted the world after his election in May 2025. It is becoming a key theme of his pontificate, as he consistently implores world leaders to find the way of peace, rather than war.
In his Easter message, the Holy Father noted: The power with which Christ rose is entirely nonviolent. It is like that of a grain of wheat which, having rotted in the earth, grows, breaks through the clods, sprouts, and becomes a golden ear of wheat. It is even more like that of a human heart which, wounded by an offense, rejects the instinct for revenge and, filled with compassion, prays for the one who has committed the offense.
On this second Sunday of the Easter season, words of peace emerge from the gospel on three occasions (John 20: 19, 21, 26). The Risen Lord continues to speak words of peace into our world – a peace that responds to the cries of all who seek justice and can work in the hearts of all who inflict harm.
May this week of Eastertide fill you with peace, courage, and the quiet joy of knowing that the Christ is with us.
