Do you pray in public? Do you make the sign of the cross?

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I also live in the south where Catholics are a minority. I realized several years ago that I was embarrassed to stand out by making the sign of the cross and since I don’t want to appear embarrassed about my faith, I end all public (and private) prayer with the sign of the cross. It has been a conversation starter with Catholic and non-Catholic friends.
 
Yes, I pray before meals, whether I am with my family or alone. And yes, I also make the Sign of the Cross before and after.

For all of you that don’t. I once had an older couple approach me after I had prayed. See, they were Catholic and wanted to know the Mass times. They were visiting our town and had just got in and had stopped to get something to eat before moving on to their hotel. I gave them the Mass times for Sunday. I only hope they went. 👍
 
Yes, I pray and cross myself in public. I pray the Grace before Meals and make the Sign of the Cross quietly when I eat out. When I’m eating with my Protestant friends, I pray with whatever they pray and cross myself afterwards.

I also cross myself when I pass a Catholic Church, even when I’m riding with friends or on the bus. It does feel a bit awkward at first, but most people don’t really seem to notice or just politely ignore it. I have occasionally seen other people on the bus cross themselves and even a bus driver one time. 👍
 
Very often, at my uncle’s house, we used to play at being two austere hermits, with only a poor hut, a little patch of corn, and a garden in which to grow a few vegetables. Our life was to be spent in continual contemplation, one praying while the other engaged in active duties. All was done with religious gravity and decorum. If we went out, the make-believe continued even in the street; the two hermits would say the Rosary, using their fingers to count on, so as not to display their devotion before those who might scoff. One day, however, the hermit Thérèse forgot herself–before eating a cake, given her for lunch, she made a large Sign of the Cross, and some worldly folk did not repress a smile.
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You know who
 
Our family ALWAYS crosses ourselves before dinnertime prayer, and after, weather in public or private. If us adults forget, our children remind us, and we all pray together. I especially enjoy it when we have other families join us out to eat, and they, too cross themselves. What a sight to see so many people, including children praying in public all at once, and aloud!
 
For those of you who automatically do it even at restaurants…it may seem funny in the context of this thread but, it is the way it should be!

Whether I think someone is watching or not…it doesn’t matter because that’s who I am. I am Catholic and Catholics make the sign of the cross.
 
AlwaysCurious said:
As a convert, I often pray and cross myself when I’m out alone, although I lose my nerve somewhat when I’m with my (Protestant) family.
What do you do? If you are called upon to pray on behalf of a non-Catholic group, do you begin or end the prayer “in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit” with the sign of the cross?
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My wife’s brother married a Catholic woman, so we have a mixed prayer group at birthday parties or when we go out to eat together. If the Protestant side offers the prayer then the Catholics just cross themselves when the prayer starts, if the Catholic side prays the Protestants bow our heads and join in.
Personally, I pray wherever I eat and don’t care who notices or gets offended. I’d rather have someone dump my meal on me in outrage than offend God.
 
I admire some sportsman/woman who make the Sign Of The Cross after winning a big game.
The tennis player Jokovic often does it.
 
Well, I have to admit I don’t say grace before meals - a bad habit I need to break. However, when I do say it, I use the sign of the cross and I try to always make a sign of the cross when I drive by a Catholic Church. I try not to make a big issue of it, I am not performing for anyone. My non-Catholic friends and co-workers find it a little quirky, but I find it to be a good thing for them to see me do it - it expresses my belief in the Father, Son and Holy Spirit - not a bad thing for them to see. If you think of it that way, you might not feel so self conscious about it .
 
Yes I do pray and make the sign of the cross before eating in public. I pray silently though, not out loud unless I’m with my children or a catholic friend/relative, then we pray vocally but quietly. Also I make the sign of the cross whenever passing a catholic church (and sometimes blow a kiss to Jesus too;)).

Blessings to you.
 
This thread is very inspiring.

I don’t always pray before I eat and when I do, I don’t make the sign of the cross. But now I’m motivated. 👍
 
My husband and I have prayed before eating when we’re out since we were married (I think); just a “free form” prayer, e.g. “Thank you Lord for all of our blessings, thank you for this food and our time together, in Jesus name, Amen.”

When we were in RCIA, we started to use the Catholic grace before meals prayer, and did the sign of the cross afterward (silently). He was always pretty reluctant about doing the sign of the cross, and didn’t say the prayer along with me (He was reluctant to participate in any prayers or signs in church or out).

We left RCIA without joining the Church and went back to the “free form” prayer before meals. Now that I’ve come back to the Church, I’m going to start signing myself and using the grace before meals prayer again, but I’ll also use a free form prayer too, especially if I’m with my husband.

Someone mentioned “losing their nerve” to make the sign of the cross when they are eating with non Catholics…I totally understand. When I’m with my parents, (Protestant mom, lapsed Catholic dad) they don’t pray, and I either say a quick silent prayer to myself, or don’t pray at all. When I’m with my husband’s Protestant family or my extended Protestant family, I don’t do the sign of the cross. I think I’m going to try to get the nerve to do it.

Also, FWIW, I have never seen anyone in public make the sign of the cross before eating, except for my sponsor and her husband. They do the “full on” “In the name of the father, and of the son, and of the holy spirit” (sometimes in Latin) before and after the prayer, say a “grace before meals,” sometimes a Hail Mary, a “St. Thomas Aquinas, pray for us, St. Thomas More, pray for us.” They go “all out.” 🙂
 
We always say grace before meals, even in a restaurant. We bow our heads, cross ourselves and say our grace, then cross ourselves when finished.

Never received any comments or funny looks, but then we are in the south and I have seen other families do this as well.
 
I think I am missing something ~ don’t people in protestant religions cross themselves? Ever?
 
Philotheatoo said:
I think I am missing something ~ don’t people in protestant religions cross themselves? Ever?
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No, you might find some high church Anglicans or Lutherans that cross themselves, but as a general rule, it is a Catholic and Orthodox practice.
 
I don’t think you necessarily have to be very formal about it although I’m sure God appreciates the formality because it shows we take Him very seriously which is good! I always thank God for the meal and when with friends I force them to take a second before we eat and I always thank God for the food and for sharing it with good friends. At first they were kinda apprehensive and smirked but now it’s like part of our tradition. It feels good being with people on the same wavelength.
 
My family and I cross ourselves and do a quiet prayer even if we go out to eat. Same thing when we are with my Protestant in-laws at family gatherings. My Father and Mother in-law even started doing the sign of the cross when they eat at our house a few years back. The only few comments I’ve ever gotten about it were from people who said it was nice to see.
 
Yes, I pray publicly. A lot of people aren’t used to seeing it, but I’m doing what I can to change that.
 
I make the sign of the cross when I hear a siren, pass a Catholic church, etc. I don’t think people really notice.
 
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