The response is Et cum spiritu tuo, meaning "And with your spirit." Some English translations, such as and the Anglican Book of Common Prayer, translate the response in the older form, "And with thy spirit." Eastern Orthodox churches also follow this usage, although the episcopal and presbyteral blessing are one and the same; in Greek, Εἰρήνη πᾶσι, eirene pasi, "peace to all." In the Roman Rite, this usage is only for the bishop, who saysPax vobiscum. The ICEL translation presently in use for Roman Catholic Masses in English has "And with your spirit." Prior to Advent 2011, the Roman Catholic response in English-speaking countries was "And also with you." In 2001 the Holy See issued the instruction Liturgiam Authenticam concerning the use of vernacular languages in the Mass. The instruction requires that certain phrases, such as the response Et cum spiritu tuo, which "belong to the heritage of the whole or of a great part of the ancient Church, as well as others that have become part of the general human patrimony, are to be respected by a translation that is as literal as possible". Accordingly, the current translation of the Mass in English uses the response "And with your spirit" to reflect an accurate translation of the Latin. Dominus vobiscum is not usually said by anyone who is not at least a deacon. If introducing a prayer, it is otherwise replaced with Domine, exaudi orationem meam with the response Et clamor meus ad te veniat or, if that invocation is said in any case, it is omitted. This exchange is also said in the LutheranDivine Service. The Lutheran Book of Worship, released in 1978, used the phrase "And also with you." The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America's updated hymnal, Evangelical Lutheran Worship, retains this wording. The response in the Lutheran Service Book, used by the Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod and the Lutheran Church–Canada, was changed to "And with your spirit" in 2006, changing from "thy" to "your". In some Jewish rites, a person called up to the Torah says Adonai immachem; the sense is identical.
Origins
The salutation is taken from the verses and in the Vulgate, the Latin translation of the Bible. In Ruth, the phrase appears in the sentence, "Et ecce ipse veniebat de Bethlehem dixitque messoribus: 'Dominus vobiscum'. Qui responderunt ei: 'Benedicat tibi Dominus'.". II Chronicles recounts that Azariah, filled with the spirit of God, said, "Audite me, Asa et omnis Iuda et Beniamin! Dominus vobiscum, quia fuistis cum eo. Si quaesieritis eum, invenietur a vobis; si autem dereliqueritis eum, derelinquet vos." The phrase additionally appears in : "Nolite ascendere: non enim est Dominus vobiscum: ne corruatis coram inimicis vestris." The expression in Hebrew means to be successful. It also occurs in where Saul tells David "Go and may the Lord be with you".
