Sign of the cross after the Kyria

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Joe_Lombardo

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About ten years ago, I noticed a small number of people
blessing themselves after the ‘‘Lord have Mercy’’, while the priest
prays, “May the Lord bless us, forgive us our sins and bring us to life everlasting”. None of the priests did it back then and one priest told me that it (blessing self at that time) was not part of the liturgy, now all our priests do it and half the congragation. Is it part of the official liturgy? If not, where does it come from?
 
The last word in liturgical practice is not law but custom. Even the usus antiquor had many things that were done by custom that were not specified in the rubrics or text.

Does it matter that an extra sign of the Cross is made? Now, really?
 
By my opinion… The more we bless ourselves…the better off we are. God definately will appreciate it!
 
I believe it’s part of the TLM (pre Vatican-2) liturgy, not required in the NO.

I like to do it anyway - after all, when the priest says those words he cleanses us of all our venial sins in preparation for the celebration of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass - I like to show God I’m thankful for His mercy!
 
LilyM said:
I believe it’s part of the TLM (pre Vatican-2) liturgy, not required in the NO.

I like to do it anyway - after all, when the priest says those words he cleanses us of all our venial sins in preparation for the celebration of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass - I like to show God I’m thankful for His mercy!
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Yes, in the TLM we made the sign of the cross at that point. Guess it’s still done; I’m not privileged to go to the TLM now. It was like a mini-absolution. Don’t scream, I know that’s not a technical and liturgical term. 😃
 
Joe_Lombardo said:
About ten years ago, I noticed a small number of people
blessing themselves after the ‘‘Lord have Mercy’’, while the priest
prays, “May the Lord bless us, forgive us our sins and bring us to life everlasting”. None of the priests did it back then and one priest told me that it (blessing self at that time) was not part of the liturgy, now all our priests do it and half the congragation. Is it part of the official liturgy? If not, where does it come from?
Click to expand...
At the TLM, “May Almighty God have mercy” was said twice, once by the server to the priest and vice versa. Then the priest said another prayer (“The almighty God grant us pardon, absolution and remission of our sins”) and everyone made the sign of the cross during this prayer.

When the Mass was revised in 1970, this prayer was dropped and the priest alone said “May Almighty God have mercy on us”. Many people were used to making the sign of the cross and so continued it at this point.
 
As AJV said, the SOTC was done during the *Indulgentiam *which followed the penitential rite. People would cross themselves at the end of the penitential rite in anticipation of the Indulgentiam. Vatican II dropped the Indulgentiam because they were afraid people were beginning to think this prayer absolved from serious sin (which it didn’t). Many think they are being traditional by crossing themselves when, in fact, the corresponding prayer is no longer present in the Mass.
 
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