Half a century ago, phone numbers had prefixes as well as numbers (such as ESterbrook 9-3392), and the Roman Catholic Mass was in Latin.
“Dominus vobiscum,” the priest would say.
“Et cum spiritu tuo,” the altar boys would respond.
Each generation of Catholic boys and girls, moving through schools run by nuns in voluminous black (or brown, or even white) habits, would hear that prayer from the altar day in and day out, and make a joke of it.
“What’s God’s phone number?
“Etcumspiri-2-2-0.”
(Giggle.)
All that changed, of course, with the Second Vatican Council of the 1960s. Now the prayer is said in English.
“God be with you.”
“And with your spirit.”
That’s probably an improvement. After all, wishing each other God’s presence and support is not a bad gift.
And it’s a lot easier to understand in the vernacular.
Patrick T. Reardon
3.18.12
Written by : Patrick T. Reardon
For more than three decades Patrick T. Reardon was an urban affairs writer, a feature writer, a columnist, and an editor for the Chicago Tribune. In 2000 he was one of a team of 50 staff members who won a Pulitzer Prize for explanatory reporting. Now a freelance writer and poet, he has contributed chapters to several books and is the author of Faith Stripped to Its Essence. His website is https://patricktreardon.com/.
How I miss the old, innocent days.
Yup.
Dominick, Go Frisk ‘Em.