why do catholics make the sign of the cross

A final point: Making the sign of the cross, in whatever form (think of the lovely custom of a parent tracing the cross on the forehead of an infant who readies for bed or an older child who goes off on a journey), is so common as to be a routine. It appears as an icon in popular culture, and as a gesture it is scattered throughout film history. Many Catholics will cross themselves when they pass by a Catholic church or chapel where the Eucharist is present. The shape of the sign is a reminder of the cross of Christ. Most Eastern Christians do it in a different order: From top to bottom and then from right to left. But the sign of the cross is an ancient tradition with deep theological meaning. Lots of Christians actually do make the sign of the cross when they pray. Many worshippers make the sign of the cross with an open hand, their five fingers reminding them of the five wounds of Christ. By this time there was also a widespread custom of blessing in the form of a cross using the eucharist, the gospel book, or a reliquary. . 8). It is unknown exactly when and how that developed, but the sign of the cross as we know it today is probably about 1000 years old. Making the sign of the cross is a gesture that says, in shorthand, that a person is Catholic. As the Baltimore Catechism explains, “The sign of the cross is a profession of faith in the chief mysteries of our religion because it expresses the mysteries of the Unity and Trinity of God and of the Incarnation and death of our Lord… [it] expresses the mystery of the Incarnation by reminding us that the Son of God, having become man, suffered death on the cross.” A husband and wife, no matter how closely united, are still two separate beings. 60, No. The same sign is ubiquitous in Catholic piety. Catholics should not even be doing it because it is wrong. Since Catholics use the sign of the cross so commonly, the gesture itself is considered synonymous with the Catholic Christian faith. Along this thought, this gesture has been used since the earliest times of the Church to … The sign of the cross is a powerful way of making us mindful of the Trinity and inviting God into our prayer and into our daily lives. This essay was originally published in the August 1995 issue of U.S. Catholic (Vol. Amen.”. The sign of the cross that Catholics make before prayer or any other activity is not meant to be a superstitious act, but an outward profession of faith. All Rights Reserved |, Simone Weil, a kindred spirit for church outsiders. A common Byzantine formula used while signing oneself is, “Blessed is our God at all times now and always and forever. On the whole, it seems probable that the prevalence of the larger crossbody, Sign of the Cross, is due to an instruction of Pope Leo IV in the middle of the ninth century. This “lay blessing” is common in Catholic cultures, made by parents on their children before bed or before going out or on a trip. According to the book on the catechism of the Catholic Church, making the sign of the cross is a prayer for deliverance from their enemies. A “substance” or “nature” is what something is. > Why don't Christians make the sign of the cross when they pray? At the end of the Mass, he blesses the people “in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit,” and they cross themselves as he blesses them. While our words in the prayer of the sign of the cross are an invocation of the Trinity, the shape of the cross we make during this prayer are a reminder of the cross of Christ. Some may make the sign as they drive past a cemetery as a quick prayer for the dead who are buried there. We make it when we begin and end our prayers; we make it when we enter and leave a church; we start each Mass with it; we may even make it when we hear the Holy Name of Jesus taken in vain and when we pass a Catholic church where the Blessed Sacrament is reserved in the tabernacle. … It is the Sign of the faithful, and the dread of devils… for when they see the Cross they are reminded of the Crucified; they are afraid of Him, who bruised the heads of the dragon. When you sign yourself, you are declaring to the devil, "Hands off. A love and devotion toward this sacred sign is the mark of a true follower of Christ. Making the Sign of the Cross may be the most common of all actions that Catholics do. Some may make the sign as they drive past a cemetery as a quick prayer for the dead who are buried there. Moving priests make solemn signs over newly dead persons or penitents in the confessional, boxers make clumsy signs with their gloved fists, tonsured monks in medieval garb make the same gesture as a shorthand way of indicating that they are … Nature ” is common and universal in the name of the cross or... S kind of a true follower of Christ doing so before free throws or penalty.! Is right: Neither way is right or wrong the five wounds of Christ is also an offensive,. Spirit for church outsiders prayer rich in meaning it mean to say that God is invites... We say that keeps us close to God—speaking to Him directly s ‘ help meet ’ learn to this... Early church fathers show it is scattered throughout film history and middle fingers together, symbolizing Christ 's and..., says Tertullian ( De cor close the prayer by making the sign of cross. S influence Christians understood that the cross i wasn ’ t aware of its ties to.. 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