Liturgy 101 - Parts of the Mass #2

Parts of the Mass – Sign of the Cross & Greeting

After the entrance procession, the celebrant makes the sign of the cross and greets the people.
The sign of the cross has been with us from the earliest times of the church, but originally was traced on the forehead. Vestiges of this remain today, both with the priest’s signing of the forehead at baptism and with the sign we make at the response to the introduction of the gospel with the words “Glory to You Lord”.

The greeting, which takes one of three forms is drawn from sacred scripture:
• “The grace and peace of our Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all” – 2 Corinthians 13:13
• “The grace and peace of God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ be with you” – Romans 1:7
• “The Lord be with you” – Ruth 2:4; Judges 6:12; Luke 1:28
Our response, “and also with you”, was formerly “and with your spirit” when the Mass was in Latin. The original Latin response is Semitic in origin and is also found in scripture, St. Paul using it on a number of occasions (Galatians 6:18; 2 Timothy 4:22; Philippians 4:23)