The things which belong unto your peace

We must learn the things that belong unto our peace, lest we meet the same end as Jerusalem, which was utterly destroyed in ad 70.  And this Gospel of St. Luke speaks of peace: a multitude of angels cried Peace on earth when Jesus was born, and a multitude of disciples cried Peace in heaven on Palm Sunday. For he is our peace, who has brought heaven and earth together in his holy incarnation and in his atoning sacrifice. But they refused him, so he wept, and then he became enraged that they were abusing the temple, using it for earthly commerce and thievery. And he drove them out. So let us learn, here in the holy liturgy, where we already repeated the song of the angels, and shall soon repeat the hosannas of the crowd on Palm Sunday. And then we shall receive him who is our peace, because of whom the celebrant declares: the peace of the Lord be with you alway. Let us cast down all idols from our hearts and embrace only him who is our only peace. Sermon for Trinity X.