Scriptures for
meditation: Ruth 2:4: And behold,
Boaz came from Bethlehem; and he said to the reapers, ‘The Lord be with you!’
And they answered, ‘The Lord bless you.’
1 Chronicles 22:11,16:
Now, my son, the Lord be with you, so that you may succeed in building the
house of the Lord your God, as he has spoken concerning you…. The Lord be with
you!
2 Tm 4:22: The
Lord be with your spirit.
Phil 4:23: The
grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit
The Catechism of the Catholic Church tells us: 446 In the Greek translation of the Old Testament,
the ineffable Hebrew name YHWH, by which God revealed himself to Moses, is rendered as Kyrios, "Lord". From then on, "Lord" becomes the more usual name by which to
indicate the divinity of Israel's God. The New Testament uses this full sense
of the title "Lord" both for the Father and - what is new - for
Jesus, who is thereby recognized as God Himself. 451 Christian prayer is characterized by the title
"Lord", whether in the invitation to prayer ("The Lord be with
you"), its conclusion ("through Christ our Lord") or the
exclamation full of trust and hope: Maran
atha ("Our
Lord, come!") or Marana
tha ("Come, Lord!")
- "Amen Come Lord Jesus!"
Mike Aquilina
tells us: …The greeting…is more than a “Hi, how are ya?” It’s an important
moment highlighting the Spirit’s power to transform not only the elements
offered in the Mass, but also the communicants who partake of the sacrament….
St. John Chrysostom… held that the congregation’s response, “And with your
spirit,” is an implicit profession of faith in the power of the sacrament of
holy orders. Chrysostom’s claims demand our closest attention: “If the
Holy Spirit were not in this your common father and teacher, you would not,
just now, when he ascended this holy chair and wished you all peace, have cried
out with one accord, ‘And with your spirit.'Thus you cry out to him, not only
when he ascends his throne and when he speaks to you and prays for you, but
also when he stands at this holy altar to offer the sacrifice. He does not
touch that which lies on the altar before wishing you the grace of our Lord,
and before you have replied to him, ‘And with your spirit.' By this cry, you
are reminded that he who stands at the altar does nothing, and that the gifts
that repose there are not the merits of a man; but that the grace of the Holy
Spirit is present and, descending on all, accomplishes this mysterious
sacrifice. We indeed see a man, but it is God who acts through him. Nothing
human takes place at this holy altar.” One 20th century commentator, Maurice
Zundel, spoke of it as a rallying
cry. The priest issues it as a summons whenever the Church is about
to do something new in the liturgy — launch the Mass, proclaim the Gospel, make
the offering, or dismiss the faithful to be Christ to the world. At every
new beginning in our Mass, we draw nearer to the divine mystery. We draw closer
than Moses was on Mount Sinai, closer than the high priest had been in the Holy
of Holies in the Jerusalem Temple. We need the Lord to be with us. We need the
Spirit of Christ as we advance. Because that’s the only way we can be safe, so
close to the divine fire. In our sacramental liturgy, the things of nature
are elevated to supernatural significance. It happens with bread. It happens with
wine. It happens with common words. They can speak with power that’s
supernatural, and they can effect what they signify. They don’t need great pomp
to do this. But clarity and completeness can only help. Liturgical
formality is, of course, no guarantee of congregational reverence. It’s funny
that in another long passage where St. John Chrysostom analyzes the meaning of
“And with your spirit,” he also decries the irreverence he witnesses in church
every Sunday. In the old days, he pointed out, the houses became churches; now,
he said, the churches have become mere houses, where Christians behave with
casualness and carelessness, heedless of the divine mystery in their
midst. He continues in an imploring tone, “When I say, ‘Peace be unto
you,’ and you say, ‘And with your spirit,’ say it not with the voice only, but
also with the mind; not in mouth only, but in understanding also.” That
should be our rallying cry today. May the Lord indeed be with us!
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My thoughts: Although
we are examining the expression “The Lord be with you…” as it appears at the
beginning of the Mass, its importance to our faith cannot be understated. Take,
for example, the fact that it appears five times in the course of a Mass.
We say it in the introductory rites, at the Gospel, at the beginning of the
Eucharistic Prayer, in the Communion rite and, in the concluding rites. The new
translation makes it perfectly clear what is happening at this moment: the
priest is calling the Lord into our lives, and we are acknowledging His
presence in the priest. Let us ponder the beautiful and powerful event occurring
at this age-old utterance, and remain throughout the Mass in a posture and
attitude worthy of being in the Lord’s presence.
Prayer: Prayer for Priests (St. Catherine of Siena)
[Father,] I beseech You, direct the hearts and wills of
the servants of Your Bride, the Holy Church, unto yourself so that they may
follow the poor, bleeding, humble, and gentle Lamb of God on the way of the
Cross. Make them angels in the shape of men; for after all, they have to
administer and distribute the Body and Blood of Your Only Begotten Son! Amen (http://www.paxetbonum.net/pfp2.html#32)
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