Sign of the Cross Before and After Each Prayer?

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I was wondering, do you do the SOTC before and after every prayer? Say, for example, that you were going to pray Hail Mary, Our Father, and the St. Michael prayer. Would you make the SOTC before, and after each of these prayers, or only before the first prayer, and after the last one?
 
I do it when I start praying and when I stop. As a child my parents explained it like picking up and hanging up the phone (a simple explanation for a child). Having learned more about it as an adult, I think it should not be used before/after every individual prayer like you describe, because that runs the risk of it becoming habit and unintentional. It’s a prayer in and of itself, and a very powerful one as it recalls the baptismal promises and is quite uncomfortable for the devil. When making the sign of the cross, I always try to mean it even if I’m moving fast. I fail a lot, but if the rosary is a spiritual sword, then the sign of the cross is spiritual armor. Take good care of it.
 
When praying one prayer, like GRACE, for e.g… we make the sign of the cross before and then right after the prayer. When we say several prayers, we make the sign of the cross before the first prayer and then after we are finished with our prayers.
 
It’s also possible to make the Sign of the Cross simultaneously with the prayer and not necessarily before. For example, during the Grace before Meals, instead of the Sign of the Cross with the traditional “In the name of…” one can also go directly to “Bless us O Lord…” while tracing the Sign of the Cross. This is because it’s a prayer of blessing and for laity, the Sign of the Cross is traced on oneself. A priest of course, would make the Sign in the air over the meal.

For the official prayer of the Church, the Sign of the Cross is said with the opening versicle “God come to my assistance” (a small one on the lips for the Invitatory versicle “Lord, open my lips”). A separate “In the name of the Father…” is not said.
 
I do it at the end of each prayer, including personal non-standard prayers.
 
Another SOTC question, does left or right handed make a difference (being a lefty, this happens to me a lot!)

I like the telephone analogy!
 
Melodeonist said:
I was wondering, do you do the SOTC before and after every prayer? Say, for example, that you were going to pray Hail Mary, Our Father, and the St. Michael prayer. Would you make the SOTC before, and after each of these prayers, or only before the first prayer, and after the last one?
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Do it in groups at the same time. If you say three prayers, then do it before the first one and after the last one. If you say a rosary, do it before and after the rosary. If you say one rosary and then three more prayers, then make the sign of the cross for the rosary and at the end of the third prayer. Years ago, you were only supposed to the right hand to make the sign of the cross, either one is acceptable now.
 
Thanks for the replies! I guess I’ll think of prayers as phone calls to God. :crossrc:
 
Don’t forget, the sign of the cross is a prayer, all by itself. I often make the sign of the cross without any other prayers.
 
Here’s another little question. Do you make the Sign of the Cross when you stop praying a decade of the rosary, if you are breaking the Rosary into parts of the day?
 
Before eating breakfast, lunch and dinner, I make the Sign of The Cross, I bless the food saying “Bless us Our Lord and these thy gifts…” and I make the Sign of The Cross again.

When I pray the Rosary, I make the Sing of The Cross and start praying the Rosary, then after I have prayed the whole Rosary, then Hail Holy Queen, Let us pray: O God,…, and other short prayers and then I make the Sign of The Cross to seal my prayers to God and the Blessed Virgin Mother.

Also I make the Sign of The Cross several times during the day (ie…when I wake up, get in my car, before bed) without saying any prayers.

While growing up, my mother used to make the Sign of The Cross during the day just at different times; just her way of asking God and the Blessed Mother to bless her in being a homemaker and devoted wife to my father. My mother and grandmothers were wonderful role models for and now I also make the Sign of The Cross in my day to day journey on this earth.

God bless my ancestors. :heaven::angel1:
 
I make the Sign of the Cross before & after every prayer. If I am breaking the rosary up, I make the Sign of the Cross at the beginning of the whole rosary and at the end, not at the parts that I break off.
 
I can’t even count the times of day I make the sign of the cross. As said before it is a prayer itself. I also recite the Jesus prayer almost as a breath.
 
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