The Sign of the Cross and the Greeting

            The priest and, with him, the entire congregation once again make the sign of the cross. The sign of the cross reminds us of our Savior, Jesus Christ, and how He died for us on the wood of the cross.  It is a sign of God’s love for us, that while we were sinners, he sent His Son to save us from our sins. We remind ourselves that Jesus by His cross has overcome the powers of sin and death.

            What we did by ourselves upon entering the church, we now do with everyone gathered in the church. We are no longer alone, but with others who believe in and trust God in the same way we do.  Every part of the Mass is a reminder that we are not alone-God is with us, and so are our fellow believers.

            Next, in the words of Saint Paul, the priest greets us.  If a bishop presides, he will use the words of Jesus to greet us.  Both of these were standard greeting in Jesus’ day, very much like “Good morning” or “Hello” is for us today.  Our reply to the priest/bishop also comes from Scripture. Both in 2 Timothy 4:22, “The Lord be with your spirit,” and in Galatians 6:18, “The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit, brethren,” we have the origin of how we respond to the greeting of the celebrant. Although this response was used in the time of Jesus as a typical response—as one might say, “You too”, today—at an early point the Church restricted the use of “and with your spirit” to the ordained.  It came to be a way of recognizing the presence of the Holy Spirit, conferred on the priest at ordination, present at this Mass, working through the priest.

             There are many greetings throughout the Mass.  All of them derive from the Scriptures, and knowing where they are from helps us appreciate the part of the Mass we are celebrating.