On this first day of October, we celebrate and observe Respect for Life Sunday. As Catholics, we are called to cherish, defend, and protect the gift of life in all its stages, from the beginning of life to its end, and at every point in between.

“And with your spirit” is a much deeper response than my young “fine” was or ever could be. When we respond to the Priest’s greeting with those words, “And with your spirit,” we’re referring to the deep ontological (relating to the very being) change that occurs in a Priest’s soul.

Imagine walking up to someone & greeting them saying, “The Lord be with you.” In the store, on the street, when we walk in our house that greeting might seem somewhat strange. “Hi,” or “How are you?” or “What’s going on?” are the more usual greetings that we might use, but in Mass our greeting goes beyond a simple, “How are you doing?”

As we continue our journey through the Mass, let’s begin where it begins, with the Sign of the Cross. Every Mass that we celebrate always begins the same way, with all of us standing together & saying, “In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.”