For Lefties, Do you make the sign of the cross with your left hand?

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I was interested to see what my fellow lefties do in this situation. I use my left hand.
 
I’m a lefty and sometimes I have to stop and think about which hand I’m gonna use. But I always seem to automatically use my right hand even though it feels funny. That must be why I stop and think because it’s weird to use my right hand.
 
Is it wrong to use your left? I have often thought about it as I try and force myself to use my right.
 
I use my right hand when making the sign of the cross and I’m very left hand dominant.
 
I use my right hand for the sign of the cross, unless I am holding a child in my right arm. When I was young, I used my left hand. I have always wondered if there is a “correct” hand for this.
 
You can use either hand for the Sign of the Cross. The Byzantines use their left hand regularly. That’s just part of their rite.

My son (he’s 2) uses his left and hand and only touches his head and tummy. The ushers get a kick out of it. I know it counts. 😛
 
I’ve always used my right hand, but do find myself momentarily confused at times when I perform the act consciously. I do take the host with my left hand though…
 
I’m a lefty but I do the sign of the cross with my right. It’s one of those thingd that was drilled into me as a youth.

It’s great to have our own little lefty club! Cheers to all lefties! 😃
 
I make the Sign of the Cross with my right hand, but I always distributed the Host with my left hand. Some had thought that distributing with the left hand was prohibited, but I’ve seen priests do it.

John
 
I used to make the sign of the cross with my left hand, but at some point switched to my right. I still, however, receive the Eucharist with my right hand on top.

Shamus
 
I’m a lefty, but use my right hand to make the Sign of the Cross. I don’t know if there’s history behind the use of the right hand, but for genuflecting, it was “the right knee for God and the left knee for the King”. Also, the military salutes right handed, but, in the US Navy, a Boatswains Mate salutes left-handed when he’s blowing his “boatswains pipe”!
 
My husband and I are both lefties – we use our Right (and what I believed was proper) hands to make the sign of the cross.

Isn’t it all that dextros and sinistra stuff about left being evil or damned and the right is side of the throne with Christ and hence holy?

I was lucky and missed the years of having to change hands to write, but I thought that was the reasoning behind it.

Lefties of the world – untie! 😃 (aren’t we usually a little dyslexic, too?)

AMDG,
Mamamull
 
Ah, yes. Left hand versus right hand. For ages, and still in large areas of the world, particularly in the Middle East, use of the left hand is bad. It would be unthinkable there to eat with the left hand.

However, there are deep cultural roots even in the West. In Latin the word for right is “dexter” and for left “sinister.” Dextrous, dexterity and ambidextrous are all good; but something sinister isn’t. Jesus sits at the right (dexter) hand of God, not the left (sinister.)
Left handedness used to be a sign of bad character and worse. Nuns used to make left handed children in parochial schools write with their right hands. Certainly nobody likes to get a “left-handed” invitation.
I don’t think God cares which hand you use to make the sign of the cross, but if its worrisome, use your right hand.
 
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Mamamull:
Lefties of the world – untie! 😃 (aren’t we usually a little dyslexic, too?)

AMDG,
Mamamull
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I am glad you said that…I have a bit of dyslexia and CANNOT tell left from right to save myself! My sons think that is hysterically funny!
 
I’m ambidextrous (I can pronounce it even though I can’t spell it :whacky: ), and I have absolutly no preference to right or left in almost all things. I do however use my right hand to make the sign of the cross, because that is how I was taught, unless I have something in my right hand, then I do not hesitate to use my left hand, and without any difficulty 😉 . It is fine to use either hand, it’s not illicit, invalid, sinfull or any of that stuff. :tiphat: :cool:
 
Of course I do not use my left hand! Even in our culture, there is still a small symbolism attached to dextra/sinister. Of course, I don’t believe it but it’s part of our “language.”

I am a lector and always step up into the sanctuary right foot first. I genuflect on my right knee. C’mon, guys! This is just a weenie little bit of etiquette which contributes to the overall dignity of Catholic worship. Practice that right hand! You can do it! It’s the little things that add up.
 
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Charlemagne:
I don’t know if there’s history behind the use of the right hand, but for genuflecting, it was “the right knee for God and the left knee for the King”. QUOTE]

Can I say I’m genuflecting before the King of Kings? I genuflect on my left knee. I have no idea how long I’ve done it this way and didn’t until recently realize that I was backwards. Now it’s so ingrained that I’ve been unable to make myself switch.

Kris
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kwitz:
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Charlemagne:
I don’t know if there’s history behind the use of the right hand, but for genuflecting, it was “the right knee for God and the left knee for the King”. QUOTE]

Can I say I’m genuflecting before the King of Kings? I genuflect on my left knee. I have no idea how long I’ve done it this way and didn’t until recently realize that I was backwards. Now it’s so ingrained that I’ve been unable to make myself switch.

Kris
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So practice. How hard IS this? Pretend you are an altar server at St. Peter’s. God is in the details! OK, jump on me. But I’m English and this stuff is genetically linked. (It really is.):whacky:
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Emily Watson:
You can use either hand for the Sign of the Cross. The Byzantines use their left hand regularly. That’s just part of their rite.

My son (he’s 2) uses his left and hand and only touches his head and tummy. The ushers get a kick out of it. I know it counts. 😛
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As a Byzantine Catholic, I have yet to see someone use their left hand. However we touch our forehead and then go to the our right shoulder instead of starting out with the left (as the Latin West does).
I am left handed too, but was taught by my mother to use my right hand…I guess I could try to use my left hand. 🙂

go with God!
Edwin
 
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