Our pax-brede (instrumentum pacis - baiser de paix)

One of the singular blessings enjoyed by our small monastic community this year was the result of our commissioning the artist Daniel Mitsui for a drawing of the Benedictine motif ‘pax inter spinas’, which we now happily use as our logo.

As our Conventual Mass is often a missa cantata, we have employed the medieval practice of the use of the pax-brede (instrumentum pacis, pax, baiser de paix) for some time. The priest kisses the pax-brede at the same time he would give the pax to the deacon in a missa solemnis and the MC carries the pax-brede to those in choir and those assisting to communicate the pax to them. (One may find the current rules for the use of the pax-brede in the usus antiquior of the Roman rite in J.B. O’Connell’s The Celebration of Mass, 1964 edn. pp. 430-31).

It seemed natural to the community, therefore, to seek to have a pax-brede made incorporating Daniel Mitsui’s truly beautiful work. Thanks to some kind and generous benefactors, this became possible and our new bronze silver-gilt 14cm diameter instrumentum pacis arrived in time to be blessed for and used at the Masses of Christmas – a wonderful gift indeed, giving glory to Almighty God and edification to the brethren who by means of it receive His Peace even amidst the thorns that abound this world.

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​The pax-brede is often forgotten in modern celebrations of the usus antiquior, but it may be used as explained above, and on other occasions such as in a nuptial Mass. For that reason we asked our craftsmen for the facility to make copies of their work, which we are happy to make available to appropriate persons (please contact us for details of price, production time and shipping costs).