And With Your What?

Some will remember that not too long ago, when the priest greeted the faithful in the Mass, the congregation’s response was “And also with you.” With the new English translation of the Roman Missal which began use in Advent of 2011, the updated response bec ame, “And with your spirit.”

This perhaps seems like an odd way to reply to a greeting. Why the change to something more esoteric or removed from every-day vocabulary? The greeting, as found in the Missale Romanum (from which the English translation is derived) is (and had been since Second Vatican Council and even prior), Priest: Dominus vobiscum.

R. Et cum spiritu tuo. Following Vatican Council II, the first English translation of the Roman Missal had translated the people’s response as “And also with you,” and this is what had been used up until the new translation in 2011. Even if you’ve never studied Latin, you’ll recognize that the word “spirit” appears in the original Latin. So why hadn’t it appeared in the English translation until 2011? There are a couple of different theories as to why the discrepancy, but it is clear that “And also with you” is perhaps an oversimplification of what we see in the Latin.

So why do we say, “And with your spirit?” There are a couple of reasons. First is that this response is scriptural. As Paul concludes his letter to Timothy he concludes with the line, “The Lord be with your spirit” (2 Timothy 4:22). This greeting is not merely a “Godspeed” but rather a prayer that the Lord be with Timothy in the most complete manner, body and spirit.

As we enter the great action of the Mass, and as prayers are offered throughout the Mass, we respond in prayer asking that the Lord be with the priest in his most complete being - both body and spirit - as he helps to bridge the gap between Heaven and Earth and lead us on this pilgrimage from this world to the next. So while this may seem like an odd way to acknowledge and reciprocate a greeting, it is a prayer with incredible depth as we journey through the Mass.

Liturgically Thinking is a series of reflections on the Mass written by Connor Miller, director of music.