The Battle of Marathon, fought in 490 BC, was a pivotal clash in the Greco-Persian Wars where a Greek force, primarily Athenian, defeated a larger Persian army. This victory, achieved on the plains of Marathon, significantly impacted the course of history by preventing the Persian Empire from conquering Greece and preserving the nascent Greek civilization. The marathon race is named after the legendary run of Pheidippides, a Greek messenger, who ran from the town of Marathon to Athens to announce the Greek victory over the Persians in the Battle of Marathon in 490 BC. According to legend, he delivered the message “Rejoice, we conquer,” before collapsing and dying. The distance of the race is based on the approximate distance of his run. Even after 2500 years this messenger is still remebered.  In our gospel today we read about  the instruction that Jesus gave to his disciples: “Whenever you go into a house, first say, ‘Peace be with this house. If a peaceful – loving person lives there, let your greeting of peace remain on him; if not, take back your greeting of peace.” When the Bible uses the word peace, it uses it in four different senses. First, it uses it in a military sense – to indicate an absence of war between nations, and then we say the nations are at peace.’’ Second, it uses it in a personal sense – to indicate a feeling of personal well-being and then we say: “We are at peace with ourselves.’’ Third, the Bible uses the word peace in a religious sense – to indicate a right relationship between God and then we say, “We are at peace with God.’’ Lastly, the Bible uses the word peace to indicate a state in which everyone on earth is at peace with God, neighbour, and self. This is what we mean by the “peace of Christ.’’ This is what Jesus meant when he said, “Peace is what I leave with you; it is my own peace that I give you”. It is this peace that Jesus instructed his disciples to carry into the world. Down through the centuries, many messengers have brought this peace of Christ to the world, now it is our turn. We are to be instruments by which the peace of Christ is to be extended to every individual in every nation on earth. Are we ambassadors of peace?  Do I bring peace or dissension wherever I go?  Do I bring goodness or unease?  Do I bring good cheer or gloom? Positivity or negativity? We are called to evangelise. Actions speak louder than words. We can close with the beautiful peace prayer of St. Francis. ‘Lord, make me an instrument of your peace, where there is hatred let me sow love; where there is injury, pardon; where there is doubt, faith; where there is despair, hope; where there is darkness, light; and where there is sadness, joy. Grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console; to be understood as to understand, to be loved as to love; for it is in giving that we receive; it is in pardoning that we are pardoned; and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.