No need for the greetings

Dear Editor, May I, through the medium of your paper, appeal to all priests to stop saying “Good morning” (or “Good evening”) immediately after saying “The Lord be with you”.

“The Lord be with you” is a most sublime and wonderful greeting, calling on “The Holy One of Israel” to be present with every person in the congregation. When this is followed by the secular greeting of “Good morning” it immediately negates the first greeting, making it seem inadequate and almost worthless when, in fact, it is the greeting “Good morning” that is totally inadequate and worthless and is said even if a full force hurricane is blowing outside.

If priests feel the need to greet the congregation in this way, then let it be done outside the Mass proper, i.e. before the priest and congregation bless themselves at the start of Mass. Besides, if the Lord is with us, then we will have a good morning and a good day and the weather outside won’t make a blind bit of difference.

Yours etc., 

Michael Healy,

Macroom, Co. Cork.