Whenever the priests celebrate the Sacraments particularly the Eucharist, it is Christ who transforms the bread and wine through the priest speaking the words of institution. So, when we respond to the priest’s greeting “The Lord is with you” with “and with your spirit”, we are actually responding to Christ who celebrates with us and for us the Sacraments of the Church. In other words we are saying by our response that Christ as head of the Church is the head of the liturgical assembly, no matter who the particular priest celebrant might be. (For a fuller & very beautiful explanation on why the response was changed and how it is not a personal greeting, go to: https://apologeticessay.wordpress.com/2018/03/15/the-lord-be-with-you-et-cum-spiritu-tuo-and-with-your-spirit/
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