Question: At the start of Holy Mass, the presider greets us with the words, “The Lord be with you”, and the congregation answers, “And with your spirit”. Is it necessary for the presider to then continue with informal chat along the lines of, “Good morning, and how are you?” Is it admissible for presiders to add informal chat to the liturgy?
Answer: You are correct in identifying the words “The Lord be with you” as a greeting. This, along with several longer versions, is a scriptural greeting made at various stages of the liturgy. For example: “The grace and peace of Our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you”, are the words of St Paul in 2 Corinthians 13:14.
The problem is that many of us don’t interpret these formulae as friendly, welcoming greetings. If that is all the presiding minister says to us, he may come across as cold or aloof. On the other hand, “Good morning. How are you?”, is too chummy for the liturgy.
My suggestion is that the presiding minister — whether a bishop, priest or deacon — should use the words given in the book, but follow them up with something like: “Welcome to church on this lovely, sunny morning! In today’s readings we hear about God’s great love shown in creation…”
Alternatively, the commentator could welcome all the parishioners and visitors before the procession enters, but the one presiding should still engage the people in his opening remarks.
(Fr Thomas Plastow SJ)
Published in the April 2026 issue of The Southern Cross Magazine
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