Beging of Mass, sins forgiven

[WhiteDove359]

Some people at my parish make the sign of the cross and others do not, in the beging of the mass when sins are forgiven…im just wondering if theres something I dont know. are we suposed to make the sign of the cross if we are the people who sined and were forgiven at that mass, or is it just something that everybody is suposed to do, or is it something that no one is suposed to do…not everybody does it…jw

 

[CB_Catholic]

Some people at my parish make the sign of the cross and others do not, in the beging of the mass when sins are forgiven…im just wondering if theres something I dont know. are we suposed to make the sign of the cross if we are the people who sined and were forgiven at that mass, or is it just something that everybody is suposed to do, or is it something that no one is suposed to do…not everybody does it…jw

You do not have to make the SOC at this point in the OF of the Mass. Most people in my parish don’t. There is another thread about this somewhere in these forums.

 

[corsair]

I don’t want to sound like a jerk but at the beginning of Mass, even in the OF, the priest says, “In the Name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit”; this is when we make the sign of the cross.

Now I was always taught that our sins are forgiven in confession not at the beginning of Mass. I think what you are refering to is when we say what used to be call the"confiteor", where we state that we are sorry for our sins. This is where we receive forgivess for our venial sins. Mortal sins are done in confession, not in general absolution.

Having said all that I’m sure there are others who will disagree.

 

[PJM]

=WhiteDove359;6741357]Some people at my parish make the sign of the cross and others do not, in the beging of the mass when sins are forgiven…im just wondering if theres something I dont know. are we suposed to make the sign of the cross if we are the people who sined and were forgiven at that mass, or is it just something that everybody is suposed to do, or is it something that no one is suposed to do…not everybody does it…jw

It is a persoanl pious act, not a requirement. I do it and say: “THANK YOU JESUS I LOVE YOU.”

 

[giuseppeTO]

Some people at my parish make the sign of the cross and others do not, in the beging of the mass when sins are forgiven…im just wondering if theres something I dont know. are we suposed to make the sign of the cross if we are the people who sined and were forgiven at that mass, or is it just something that everybody is suposed to do, or is it something that no one is suposed to do…not everybody does it…jw

In the EF when the priest says (In Latin) “May Almighty God have mercy on you, forgive you your sins, and bring you to everlasting life”, he is petitioning the Mercy of God for our sinfulness in preparation for the offering of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, hence the sign of the cross. The priest is not giving you absolution or forgiving your sins … that is the sacrament of Penance. If you are praying the prayers along with the priest, you would do what he does, but not out of an obligation. In either case, your sins are not forgiven by this act whether you make the sign or not.

 

[Cristiano]

In the EF when the priest says (In Latin) “May Almighty God have mercy on you, forgive you your sins, and bring you to everlasting life”, he is petitioning the Mercy of God for our sinfulness in preparation for the offering of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, hence the sign of the cross. The priest is not giving you absolution or forgiving your sins … that is the sacrament of Penance. If you are praying the prayers along with the priest, you would do what he does, but not out of an obligation. In either case, your sins are not forgiven by this act whether you make the sign or not.

Same thing in the OF even if people do not recognize it. The only difference is that the priest says “us” and not “you” when petitioning for mercy.

 

[giuseppeTO]

Same thing in the OF even if people do not recognize it. The only difference is that the priest says “us” and not “you” when petitioning for mercy.

Thanks … I couldn’t remember. Does he make the sign of the cross also?

 

[Cristiano]

Thanks … I couldn’t remember. Does he make the sign of the cross also?

It is difficult to tell because I usually participate to the Mass and all the prayers with my eyes closed to avoid distractions. I will have to check the GIRM.

 

[Windmill]

In the EF of the Mass, there is a prayer right after the *Confiteor *called the Indulgentiam. This prayer **begins **with the SOC. However, people used to start the SOC at the **end **of the Confiteor in anticipation of the Indulgentiam.

In the OF, they removed the Indulgentiam (and, thus, the SOC), but some people still hear the Confiteor and make the SOC out of habit at the end…even though the prayer that *that *SOC was associated with has been removed.

Is it technically wrong? Yeah. But it’s not a hill I’d die fighting on. There are egregious liturgical abuses out there that should be tended to before this gets addressed.