"The Lord be with you." "And with your spirit." We say it before the Gospel without thinking — but the exchange is older than the Mass itself. Where in Scripture does this greeting come from, and why do we sign the book, our forehead, lips, and breast?
"The Lord Be With You and With Your Spirit": The Gospel Greeting
This second session on the Gospel covers the greeting, the proclamation, the signing of the cross, and the secret prayer. Dr. Pitre roots the dialogue "The Lord be with you / And with your spirit" in Scripture itself — Boaz greeting the reapers in Ruth 2:4 (Latin Dominus vobiscum) and Paul's farewell to Timothy, "The Lord be with your spirit" (2 Tim 4:22) — alongside Jesus' command to "preach the gospel to the whole creation" (Mark 16). He then traces the liturgical tradition: the Synod of Rome restricting the chanting of the Gospel to deacons, Amalar of Metz on the blessing and the sign of the cross, and William Durand on why the faithful mark forehead, mouth, and breast. Augustine supplies the mystery — that in the Gospel reading Christ himself is speaking to us now. Why the triple sign of the cross, and what is the "secret" prayer the priest says after the Gospel?
Key passages & sources examined: Roman Missal, Order of Mass nos. 15–16; Ruth 2:4; 2 Timothy 4:19–22; Mark 16:14–16; Synod of Rome (595), Canon 1; Amalar of Metz, On the Liturgy 3.18; Missa Illyrica (1030); William Durand, Rationale IV.24.28; Augustine, Homilies on the Gospel of John 30.1
Where does "The Lord be with you and with your spirit" come from? The video traces the greeting to Scripture — Boaz in Ruth 2:4 and Paul's letters — long before it became the Mass's dialogue before the Gospel.
Why do Catholics sign the forehead, lips, and breast before the Gospel? Dr. Pitre explains the custom through William Durand and Amalar of Metz — its meaning and antiquity are unpacked in the session.
What is the "secret" prayer the priest says after the Gospel? The video reveals the quiet prayer that begins "Through the words of the Gospel…" and what it says about the power of the reading.
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I'm amazed by these lectures, I learn so many things and I hear so many things Ive never heard before. Love how dr Brant Pitre answers complicated questions at the end of the lectures.
This was another great and informative lecture on Catholic teachings concerning a Catholic belief not shared by our Christian brothers and sisters. And, like his other lectures on the Jewish Roots of our Faith, Dr. Pitre gives great insight using biblical texts, history and language lessons. But, this left me burning questions Dr. Pitre did not ask or answer: When, after death, is purgatory? Do our resurrected bodies partake in purgatory? If those who experience purgatory are saved then how does the doctrine of the beatific vision play into all this? Maybe these questions are answered in another lecture?
I'm amazed by these lectures, I learn so many things and I hear so many things Ive never heard before. Love how dr Brant Pitre answers complicated questions at the end of the lectures.
This was another great and informative lecture on Catholic teachings concerning a Catholic belief not shared by our Christian brothers and sisters. And, like his other lectures on the Jewish Roots of our Faith, Dr. Pitre gives great insight using biblical texts, history and language lessons. But, this left me burning questions Dr. Pitre did not ask or answer: When, after death, is purgatory? Do our resurrected bodies partake in purgatory? If those who experience purgatory are saved then how does the doctrine of the beatific vision play into all this? Maybe these questions are answered in another lecture?
