Catholics use the sign of the cross daily in Mass and prayer. The sign of the cross can be made in any position, but is commonly paired with the act of genuflection (kneeling on one knee as a sign of respect). The Sign of the Cross is primarily a blessing. In the New Testament, the word fleshsums up all the evil inclinations of our old nature that persist in us even after we die with Christ in baptism (see Gal 5:16-22). The sign of the cross is used in several Christian traditions, but it is most prominent in Catholic and Orthodox tradition. Catholics occasionally make the Sign of the Cross casually, just as a nice gesture for commencing and ending their prayers. Every time we listen to the Gospel Jesus is knocking at the door of our heart, waiting to get in. Man is composed of a soul and a body. By make the sign of the cross, we acknowledge that he has redeemed us, and that through baptism we have … Sometimes Catholics may make a quick Sign of the Cross when receiving bad news, or when sirens pass, as a way of praying for those involved. A: The rubrics don’t call for the faithful to cross themselves after receiving Communion. Answer: The right hand, probably in part due to the fact that most people are right-handed, is traditionally the hand of blessing and greeting in many cultural settings, a convention found in Scripture and Tradition. In particular, it is the special salute of the Catholic. Driscoll But, more importantly, the sign is also an offensive weapon, helping us reclaim with Christ all that Satan lost at the cross. Basil the Great tells us that the apostles themselves taught the sign of the cross. But when we learn to take this act seriously, signing ourselves frequently with faith and reverence, remarkable results can take place. A. The Church Fathers used the same word for the Sign of the Cross that the ancient world employed to indicate ownership. The sign of the cross is also made during prayer, often on two knees, but it can also be performed standing up, or even lying down, as … We find ourselves doing measurably better in our Christian life: praying with more passion, resisting our bad inclinations more effectively, and relating to others more kindly. A. Many also touch their right shoulder up higher than their left shoulder. Amen." Nowhere in the Bible, God teaches us that we should make the sign of the cross. Words often accompany the sign of the cross, but they are not essential. An indulgence of 300 days for making the sign of the cross, with holy water. They said, it’s a good sign. From the first Easter morning through the present, the Sign of the Cross makes the devil cower and flee. Why do we make the Sign of the Cross? God’s children are hidden with Christ in God, and no one can take us from God’s hand. Catholics occasionally make the Sign of the Cross casually, just as a nice gesture for commencing and ending their prayers. St. The sign of the cross was made simply with the fingers (the index or the thumb) on the forehead or lips or breast (as Latin-rite Catholics do at the beginning of the Gospel lesson) or with the whole hand over the torso. St. Augustine (d. 430) mentioned and described it many times in his sermons and letters. and of the Holy Spirit. If we hold three fingers together while making the sign of the cross, they symbolize the trinity, and the two other fingers together represent Christ’s two natures, that he is fully man and fully divine. Bert Ghezzi is the author of numerous books, most recently “The Sign of the Cross: Recovering the Power of the Ancient Prayer” (Loyola, 2006). 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