John Chrysostom says that this liturgical formula is a relic of a bygone era, when the Spirit still motivated the elder-men presiding over the people of the Lord in sacred assembly...
“[I]n truth the Church was a heaven then [in apostolic times], the Spirit governing all things, and moving each one of the rulers and making him inspired. But now we retain only the symbols of those gifts. For now also we speak two or three, and in turn, and when one is silent, another begins. But these are only signs and memorials of those things. Wherefore when we begin to speak, the people respond, “with your Spirit,” indicating that of old they thus used to speak, not of their own wisdom, but moved by the Spirit. But not so now: (I speak of my own case so far.) But the present Church is like a woman who has fallen from her former prosperous days, and in many respects retains the symbols only of that ancient prosperity; displaying indeed the repositories and caskets of her golden ornaments, but bereft of her wealth: such an one does the present Church resemble” (Homily XXXVI on First Corinthians).
Now this is truly harrowing. If Chrysostam was lamenting the loss of the Spirit in his day around the turn of the 4th century, how much moreso does this fearfully ring true today?
Et cum spiritu tuo...
John Chrysostom says that this liturgical formula is a relic of a bygone era, when the Spirit still motivated the elder-men presiding over the people of the Lord in sacred assembly...
“[I]n truth the Church was a heaven then [in apostolic times], the Spirit governing all things, and moving each one of the rulers and making him inspired. But now we retain only the symbols of those gifts. For now also we speak two or three, and in turn, and when one is silent, another begins. But these are only signs and memorials of those things. Wherefore when we begin to speak, the people respond, “with your Spirit,” indicating that of old they thus used to speak, not of their own wisdom, but moved by the Spirit. But not so now: (I speak of my own case so far.) But the present Church is like a woman who has fallen from her former prosperous days, and in many respects retains the symbols only of that ancient prosperity; displaying indeed the repositories and caskets of her golden ornaments, but bereft of her wealth: such an one does the present Church resemble” (Homily XXXVI on First Corinthians).
Now this is truly harrowing. If Chrysostam was lamenting the loss of the Spirit in his day around the turn of the 4th century, how much moreso does this fearfully ring true today?