Dominus vobiscum
The Latin Dominus vobiscum or in the German version The Lord be with you is an acclamation in the Christian liturgy of the Roman and Byzantine rites and in Lutheran churches . It is a greeting and a blessing from the liturgist to the congregation and is used in Holy Mass , the Divine Liturgy and other forms of worship to initiate a priestly act. The congregation's counter-greeting is Et cum spiritu tuo “And with your spirit”.
In the Roman rite a bishop speaks instead “Pax vobiscum” or “Peace be upon you”. The answer of the congregation is " Et cum spiritu tuo " or "And with your spirit (s)".
The formulas come from the Bible texts Ruth 2,4 EU and 2 Tim 4,22 EU .
Web links
Wiktionary: Dominus vobiscum - explanations of meanings, word origins, synonyms, translations
