Introductory Rites: The Greeting

This week we will focus on the greeting. The priest says, “The Lord be with you." We, the congregation, respond, “And with your spirit." This is no ordinary greeting. It announces the reality of Jesus' presence within our church community of believers assembled here today. This liturgical greeting also expresses the profound reality of God's life dwelling within our soul by virtue of our baptism. With these words, the priest is praying that the divine life we received at baptism may continue to grow within us.

But the greeting "The Lord be with you" also recalls the words spoken to many heroes from the Bible who were called by God to a daunting mission beyond a man's own ability and forcing him to rely on God as never before. Moses did not want to take on the mission of freeing the people from Egypt. But God promised that “I, God will be with you." Just as the words "The Lord be with you" remind us of the high calling we each have as God's children. We should realize that we are standing in the footsteps of many in the Bible who received this special calling from the

Lord. Like Moses, we each have a role no one else can play...in our marriages, in our families, in our work, in our friendships, in our parish, and in our community. These words assure us that we have access to God for support in the trials and challenges we face. Most of all, this greeting points to the reality of Christ's death and resurrection and the receiving of communion with Christ's body and blood. We are not worthy of so great an honor, but the priest’s words remind us at the start of Mass that the Lord is with us.

Finally in our response “And with your spirit" we are acknowledging the Holy Spirit's unique presence at the Liturgy through the priest by virtue of his ordination. We the people are addressing the spirit of the priest, the one priest, Christ himself and the one who represents him now must be finely tuned to perform his sacred duties...as he celebrates the consecration with divine and human dignity, acts devoutly and shows a deep love for the Holy Mass.