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Dominus Vobiscum, meaning "The Lord be with you" (from Roman Catholic Mass, taken from

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Bible

and

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Bible

), is an ancient salutation and blessing traditionally given by clergy in Western liturgies.

Usage[]

The response is Et cum spiritu tuo, meaning "and with thy spirit":

Dominus vobiscum.
Et cum spirito tuo.

The exchange also occurs in the liturgy of other Christian denominations. It is called a salutation. The English translations given here are from the Anglican Book of Common Prayer, and more recent prayer books translate the exchange as "The Lord be with you - and also with you". In some Jewish rites, a person called up to the Torah says Adonai immachem: the sense is identical.[1]

Upcoming revisions to the English version of the Roman Missal will use the exchange "The Lord be with you - and with your spirit" to reflect a more accurate translation of the Latin exchange.

The exchange is also said before the collect in the Lutheran Divine Service.

Origins[]

The term appears in the Latin translation of the Bible (Vulgate) in

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: "Nolite ascendere: non enim est Dominus vobiscum: ne corruatis coram inimicis vestris." (Hebrew Ayn adonai b'qirb'chem) The expression in Hebrew means to be successful. It also occurs in

Part of the series on the
Bible

where Saul tells David "Go and may the Lord be with you" (Lech va'adonai y'hiyeh im'cha).

Other uses[]

Dominus Vobiscum may also refer to the Catholic family retreat centre in the Laurentians of the Province of Quebec in Canada.

It is located on the grounds of what used to be Camp Orelda Marian. It is run by mostly volunteers and receives its funding from charitable donors and the Catholic Community Services of Montreal. It was launched in 1998 by Daniel Cere.

Il Duce Canadese[]

The retreat centre was also the set for the Canadian film Il Duce canadese, the story of an internment camp in the province of Ontario during World War II.

External links[]

  1. Book of Prayer of the Spanish and Portuguese Jews' Congregation, London vol. 1, page 47.

da:Dominus Vobiscum

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