“The Lord Be With You”

                Many Catholics going to mass for decades, are still doubtful, doubtful about going to heaven, about their status with God and whether they carry the Holy Spirit within them. Often they are timid, fearful, and wondering about their relationship with God, with Christ… And this, after years and years of going to Church.

            I would like to suggest one change in the Roman Catholic Mass that might begin to give Catholics more assurance of their relationship with Christ.

            At the Christian Catholic Mass for hundreds of years, the liturgy leader has prayed “The Lord be with you.” Often proclaimed in the most solemn of sounds. And the congregation responds by saying “and also with you.” This exchange of blessings has become very ritualized, losing much of its true meaning, often not having much impact on the congregation at all.

            Perhaps it would be a better reflection of the true spiritual reality if, after the priest said “The Lord be with you,” the congregation would respond by proclaiming “The Lord IS with us. ”

            We are assuming, of course, people are living the good Christian life and already possess the Holy Spirit! By making this change we are indicating, not that we don’t have the spirit of the Lord yet, but rather the spirit of God is with us.

Postscript:

The changes of this change being made by the hierarchy of the Roman Catholic Church is one in a billion - perhaps one in a trillion. Nevertheless - the author - for one - thinks it has merit.